


The Unforeseen Fall of Lahote

by rednight73



Category: Twilight (Movies), Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, F/M, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:55:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 29
Words: 61,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28139544
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rednight73/pseuds/rednight73
Summary: What if the "he" in the "he's gone" rant that Bella  had when Sam found her in the woods wasn't Edward Cullen? What if everything before New Moon wasn't quite as it seemed? Isabella Swan has a secret which she has to hold onto at great cost, and she intends to keep it no matter what...The last thing that Paul Lahote wants is to associate with Bella Swan, because he has enough problems to deal with without the troublemaker from Forks. But fate has a way of being contradictory, and Paul finds himself way out of his depth trying to keep the ones he loves safe. That Bella Swan, the famed leech lover, would end up in that category was unexpected.
Relationships: Jared Cameron/Kim Connweller, Paul Lahote/Bella Swan, Seth Clearwater/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 53
Collections: Twilight FanFiction, Twilight FanFiction Collection





	1. As It All Appears

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all!
> 
> So this story intends to take Twilight's first book's events and twist them into something very different from what was perceived by the town of Forks or the wolves of LaPush! It starts out slow but give it a chance please
> 
> I'm uploading this story from my wattpad (under the same handle btw)
> 
> Thanks!

Angela stared outside of the dull classroom window, utterly bored with Trigonometry and just life in general; Forks was Forks, rain was rain, and her classmates were as constant as the first two things.

Maybe she was too young to be so jaded, but seventeen years of the same things had made moderating her feelings difficult. She couldn't even force herself to be interested in whatever Jessica had been blabbing about to her today, like some sort of marionette doll on autopilot, she had just nodded and smiled and pretended to be engaged.

"Everyone, I'd like you all to be welcoming to our new student, Bella Swan." Mr. Varner announced grandly, sweeping his arms to a petite, pale girl who had a shy smile plastered to her face.

Dark shadows framed her honey-brown eyes, twisting beautiful features into somehow looking slightly tortured as she warily scanned the chairs for an empty seat. Instinctual pity ran down Angela's spine, destroying any remaining ennui she had been feeling about her life, as the other students automatically began whispering in frenzied excitement.

"What crawled up her ass and died?" Jessica huffed hatefully beside her with a sneer.

"Hot. Oh baby." Mike sighed dramatically to Tyler Crowley.

There was only one empty seat left in the room. The mysterious new student walked slowly through the aisle to the seat to Angela's left. She walked gracefully, her pace fairly quick as she hastily plopped into the chair. In perfect harmony, Mr. Varner returned to his signature droll on the importance of checking that a calculator was in radians.

Bella stared at her desk, her fingers so white on her pencil that Angela was surprised that it hadn't snapped yet from the tension that she was exerting.

Sympathy ran through her because it was obvious that the girl didn't want to be here anymore than she herself did. "Hi Bella," she found herself whispering, "welcome to Forks. My name's Angela."

Those haunted eyes slid over to her, the dead expression only slightly lifting as she smiled back. "Is it really always cloudy here?"

"Yes."

•••••••••••••••

In slow fashion, Bella became Angela's friend, and not one that she had to drown out her words to spare herself from vicious gossip and blatant self-obsession. It was refreshing and Angela appreciated it. It was tiring dealing with people that strived to always be the best or unique. That mentality led to the opposite effect, and the nuances of people needlessly blended. Angela liked being friends with Bella. It was not more about one person than the other.

And slowly, the shadows on her new friend's face lightened, like the change in surroundings had taken a huge weight off of her back. But despite these changes, there were still moments where a great sadness would overtake Bella, like it was something she could never just shake off and forget. It made her wish that there was something that she could do to help her.

Because Angela noticed things. Like how Bella rarely talked about her life before Forks or that she always seemed extremely, painfully aware of her surroundings. If someone entered the classroom, Bella's eyes always followed that person's movement until that person rested firmly in his or her seat. It was almost imperceptible that Bella was tense at all, but it was there nonetheless.

The Cullen issue was the final novelty that bothered Angela about her new friend. The affluent adopted children of Dr. Carlisle Cullen were the only other exceptions to Forks' constance rule other than Bella herself. Only they made Angela's skin crawl, whether it be fear or hyper-awareness, it made little difference. Intuitive and vicious it may have been, but the instinctive response Angela possessed couldn't be driven away; Fork's ethereal elite should leave Bella _alone_.

It was almost instantaneous that the great Edward and Bella love affair began. The two wouldn't speak at first, but the attention that Bella received was a liquid accelerant on an already blazing bonfire to the school. It made Angela both nervous about the additional attention it bestowed upon her already shy friend and happy that someone seemed to realize what a great find Bella was.

But at the end of the day, Angela was right to be worried. Suddenly Bella's time was consumed by Edward, and it became abundantly clear that Bella's dim light was almost entirely extinguished by the Cullens' wildfire. She no longer relaxed with anyone like she did for that short time with Angela. The low, throaty jokes that had Angela clutching her stomach in laughter no longer graced anyone's ears. She certainly never saw Edward show any sign that Bella was funny.

The school had all kinds of theories about how the pale girl from Phoenix, though beautiful, caught Edward's attention. The nastiness of the rumors made Bella's lone companion flinch, and it took a surprising amount of effort to keep her mouth shut. After all, they hadn't been friends for so terribly long that she could interject in Bella's love life. So she continued to watch.

It spiraled out of control when Bella disappeared for a number of days along with the Cullens. Pregnancy, drugs, and even a shotgun wedding were all mentioned until on the third day that Bella returned, but with a lengthy stay in the hospital. Angela visited her and received a bogus story about the clumsiness that she had never been witness to save gym class. Bella actually moved gracefully, like a dancer, but only when others were too preoccupied to notice. The injuries and the story simply did not add up. Bella was stuck on crutches for some time.

It was then that Ben asked her out and Angela admittedly lost herself in a happiness that she never before thought possible. They were in their own world. And it wasn't until much, much later that Angela realized that her love distracted her from her former friend. A friend who by then was even more submerged in a quiet, tense relationship with a boy who was lethally beautiful and monstrously aloof.

Bella still talked to Angela every once in a while after the leg healed, and it still held the quality of talking to somebody who cared. She still wasn't selfish like Jessica became when drama continuously occurred between her and Mike. It placated Angela's previous concern and almost made her dismiss the abnormalities she had seen. It all became normal.

Months continued to pass until Edward dumped Bella in the woods and incited the entire town to look for her when she hadn't returned home.

And it was to her great dismay that Bella slipped back into a depression that was even stronger than the one that she had arrived with. In fact, she began to more closely resemble a zombie than her beautiful and mysterious friend.

Angela no longer bothered to listen to the insidious gossip, because frankly repetition led to ineffectiveness. It only mattered that she was there for Bella and helped her get over that long relationship she had. But it quickly became apparent that it didn't matter how much effort was put into helping Isabella Swan. That girl, the one that shone such a faint spark, was erased and replaced by a zombie that did not speak or laugh or enjoy even so much as a breath. Nonetheless, Angela always checked on her every day, hoping to receive some type of plea of help.

This hope transformed into a mere fantasy as time kept hurdling past such a dreary town. But one thing remained the same with the husk that they still called Bella. She still was jumpy whenever anyone entered the room. The fear on her face never left.


	2. He's Gone

The ground was soft as Sam sprinted across a border that hadn't been crossed by a LaPush protector in decades. His breath was almost jagged as he pushed himself to a tremendous speed. He could barely dodge the trees that met his path.

Everything was uneven, unfocused. The treaty had been broken, crushed into a billion pieces within a blink of an eye. Forks Police Chief Charlie Swan had contacted Billy in an unprecedented call for help in the search for his teenage daughter Bella. She had supposedly gone for a walk in the woods and never returned. This particular teenager had been warned by his chief of the dangers of running with leeches and was now fucking _missing_.

Sam saw red as he envisioned the likelihood of finding a scent without a body, surrounded by the sickly sweet smell that permeated the border that was just crossed by his paws.

Those monsters had ripped away any chance that Sam Uley possessed of having a normal life. Human life, Isabella Swan's included, was supposedly the reward for that.

They'd taken a human's life that was supposedly the tradeoff for his pain. The forsaken, glorified bloodsuckers were allowed to occupy Forks and fuck everything up for him, but only at the price of not taking a human life. It had all been for nothing. Leah's heart and Emily's face, the constant rage that stained every little corner of his life. It amounted to nothing.

Sam curved his body around the Swan's house with the hope to catch a scent. The house was surrounded with people, volunteers just like the werewolf himself. Lavender mixed with the sickly sweet stench pulled slightly at his senses. It was so faint. Sam growled and streaked forward in the jagged path that it led, leaving behind the grim scene. He lost it within ten mountainous leaps.

Sam slowed and tried frantically to find the priceless thread once again. A whimper, too odd to be an animal's, sounded off to his left. He sprinted there and was shocked by what he found.

He'd never seen Bella Swan before.

The alpha had only understood the minimal: that it was Charlie's girl that needed saved. The person that he saw created a relief which was an instant calm to his panicked mind. The full moon cast enough light for Sam to see that she was alive.

She was delicate, her bones present under cream skin with an unnatural blue and goosebumps to match. If it weren't for her rib cage rising up and down rapidly through her soaked shirt, Sam could've sworn she was catatonic.

Changing back quickly, the werewolf threw his shorts on and reached for Bella, collecting her in his arms. As if doused by water, the girl started shaking and chanting. And chanting was the only word that could describe it.

"He's gone, he's gone, he's gone..."

Sam carried her, walking slightly faster than what was human in order to get away from the terror and grief and self-hatred. It reminded him of himself when he held a broken Emily in his arms. The idea of that emotion being evoked by a leech was unbearable.

The memory of handing Bella to Charlie was vague, and Sam only thought back on it when he was halfway back to LaPush. As soon as her face, gaunt and terrified, came into focus, the wolf pushed his paws further into the earth, punishing it.

The memory eventually left and Sam carried on with the sentence that every Protector of LaPush had to bear.

**Paul's POV**

**Ten months later...**

A fist connected with my face, but my feet never moved a centimeter. My hand went up to rub the sting, and eventually I cranked open my eyes to see a shorter man, eyes masked with Oakley's, glaring up at my jaw.

"Whaddya do that for?" My packmates would be surprised at the lack of anger in my voice, but hey, it didn't hurt. I can be reasonable.

The fucker glared at me with an appropriate amount of shock and anger for that punch he landed on me. "Where the fuck is Lynn?"

I was confused. "Who's Lynn?"

"Paulie? You there?" A feminine voice sounded off from my house, and it dripped with implication.

I resisted the urge to not adjust myself in front of the guy. I didn't know who Paulie was either, for the record.

"You motherfucker!" The dude swung at me again, this time a class ring cutting through the air. What man wore jewelry?

My patience evaporated, and I caught his fist and squeezed it. There was a sick pop. The stranger let out a fierce yelp and struggled to get out of my grip.

"Look bud, I do not owe you or that girl anything. I don't know you, she's the one that does. So stop bitch slapping me and go away." I let him go and walked through my door.

"Paulie?" Her voice, sweet and still asking for it, now had the opposite effect.

I pushed past her and no backwards glance was given. "There's a visitor for you that needs to go inconvenience some poor doctor. Both of you need to get the hell off of my property."

It wasn't difficult to hear her scamper out and gasp when she saw who was waiting for her. My eyes rolled back to my skull. There was no possible way that her boyfriend could've found my place without her texting an address and trying to stir shit.

I slammed the door in a usual fit of temper. Typical. Blame the guy who didn't do anything except take what was offered. I had been bored and looking for the right kind of printer ink for the pack printer in Emily's house when Miss Thing had bent over with no underwear on right in front of me.

Shocked? I'm the pack IT guy, I know. The beat up printer only runs because of my tender care. Not that the fuckers did their homework enough to need the printer as much as me anyway. I had been thinking about ways to fix its tendency to jam every time it ran while I had fucked the brains out of what's-her-face. HP will be the real one to fuck ya if you're not preemptive and not fast enough on the draw.

I was just settling down into my beloved recliner after that whole fiasco in my yard when I heard a load, familiar roar of a motorcycle sailing down my dirt road. Along with that motorcycle was heavy, almost moany breathing and a fluttery heart.

That was new. Intrigue pulled me outside.

I plopped my heavy ass onto the lone rocking chair. My secret indulgence. Because hey! When you're a grumpy werewolf, you might as well pamper yourself like an old man that only gets laid once a year.

Based off of my ears, I had two minutes till the show started, so I really took a second getting my sitting angle optimal. Once adjusted, the sight that awaited me was surprising.

A familiar white girl was racing sleekly around the corner on a shitty bike I wouldn't touch with my left nut. Her long dark hair was a wavy sail that drew my eyes to it, and her tight slender curves second. She wore long sleeves in the middle of July, and it served as a motivator to look at pale legs that seamlessly hid slick muscle that could be seen nonetheless.

It reminded me of a bunny, all fluffy looking when bunched up and muscled when leaping. I felt a desire to test those legs around my waist sometime, but I quickly squashed it when I realized who it was.

Isabella Swan. My dick was just bipolar today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know. A nerdy Paul is a little weird. So I wanted Paul to be more than just a sexy jerk, I wanted him to be a smart sexy jerk lol. Ambition is interesting, and I noticed that Bella never really had the chance to meet somebody who had more on the brain than her. People can be more multi-faceted than a stereotype. But I'm babbling.
> 
> Chapters will get longer after this, promise!


	3. Secrets

**Paul's POV**

Thoughts of my dick quickly evaporated when Jacob Black roared around the same corner, chasing the rabbit I had my eye on. He was obviously terrified for the liberated Swan, and understandably so in what I observed in the next five seconds: an insane expression took over that delicate face and the accelerator was squeezed down with her tiny hand.

Perhaps most frightening of all is that the little vixen wasn't looking at the road.

Her eyes were focused on the forest on the side of my house, and they seemed to be tracing nonexistent movement. Nonexistent in that werewolf senses couldn't even pick it up.

This odd behavior was disrupted when she crashed.

Jacob's voice finally seemed to reach her. The athleticism I had imagined embedded within her suddenly exaggeratedly disappeared.

The bike swerved, and I heard her let the accelerator go for the briefest second before slamming it so quick my eyes couldn't trace the movement. The bike tumbled forward over the handlebars and Bella soared in a ridiculous somersault and onto the dirt. And also, onto a rock.

The thud didn't alarm me in its intensity while the lack of a gasp of pain from the small female did. Black stopped his matching shitty bike with a skid and sprinted the remaining distance to the insane, wannabe Tony Hawk.

"Bella? Bells? Are you alright?" His cracking voice portrayed an appropriate amount of panic.

Bella stared up wordlessly at him like a dazed but excited child, like it was late Christmas Eve and presents were approaching. Blood matted her dark hair and seeped rebelliously onto her forehead.

"BELLS?"

Her unique expression did little to abate Jacob's fear and I found it rather annoying how much the kid was missing. She wasn't in pain... the look on her face was overjoyed. Over what, nobody could tell. I certainly vowed to never find out.

I retreated back into the house before they could realize my presence. Last thing I needed was my chief's kid thinking that I wanted anything to do with his leech-lover.

Crazy is best left alone and away from me.

Another month flew by from the Swan spectacle at my house and life went on as normally as it could for a nineteen year old werewolf. I had finished my final semester of my freshman courses at the local college a couple of towns over and was immediately starting on my sophomore ones. It was a miracle since Sam couldn't stop fucking howling me out into the night with the constant patrolling. Stray leeches kept stinking up the forest at the most inopportune times, and it forced me to go part-time with classes so Sir Alpha could stop nagging my ass. Lucky I was ahead, cause my asshole meter would've skyrocketed if I fell behind.

Not that the others would ever understand anyway. All too busy with high school or fucking Emily (Sir Alpha). They couldn't see the horizon of not being stuck in the same shitty town their whole lives.

_Stop thinking and pay fucking attention. Patrol time isn't whine time._

My lupine features did their best to flinch at the awkwardness when I remembered I was still in wolf form. This train of thought had done little to endear me to Sam. Oh well.

I searched within myself for something snarky to say but only found a deep miasma of apathy. Boring as hell was hardly an apt descriptor of being stuck in these guys' minds for eight hours a night.

It'd be great when we got some new blood so there'd be more breaks. Billy was saying that the kid was ready to pop at any minute.

Jared, Embry, and Sam rolled their internal eyes at what they considered the morbid direction my thoughts were taking. My practicality, in stark comparison to the martyrdom of my packmates', dictated that I was the sole advocate for some extra paws.

I threw my body along the perimeter of our border, trying hard not to predict when my shift would be over. A deer started out of my path, barely in time. Chasing it would be fun, but the current mood of our pack-mind was a definitive damper on such pleasantries.

As if a genie had been listening to my furry, slightly sarcastic thoughts, Embry heard Billy calling Sam's name at the edge of the woods in an urgent tone. Everyone, even myself, froze when an inhuman, enraged scream followed in the same direction. Sir Alpha, ever our knight in shining armor, took charge.

_Jared and Embry, maintain the perimeter. Paul, with me._ His presence was heavy with sadness but very cognizant of the pack's needs. Jared was to keep Embry, a relatively new wolf, safe and me, someone who liked to fight, with him in case Jacob wanted a fight.

Thinking of the frustration that school and constant patrolling was causing, it was difficult to not hope that the kid would want to fight me. Sex could only help so much.

_Please shut up, Paul._ Sam begged as I caught up to him in a dead sprint. _Jake's our born alpha. We **don't** want a fight with him._

Since when did someone being alpha stop me before? Nonetheless, I cleared my mind as we approached the Black house. Jake's growing rage reflected in the way he yelled at Billy, and the trembling through his frame proved as further testament.

Not having time to get dressed, Sam and I shifted back to our human forms and stormed the house quickly. Time being of essence, I pinned the kid quickly with my wolf strength, taking advantage of Jake not having that benefit yet. Sam checked on Billy and moved to help me force the struggling future alpha out of the house.

"WHAT THE FUCK! I'LL KILL YOU!" It didn't take much to piss someone off who was about to change. I contained the mad laughter that threatened to spill. This was something new and exciting and I couldn't help myself.

Jake's frame, now close to my size, could do little to contain the shaking. As soon as we wrestled him through the doorway, the fluffy explosion occurred. I instantaneously followed suit, eager to let everything out.

_What's happening?!_

An instant fight boner was murdered when I heard the innocent confusion through Jake's head. Great, changing popped the anger bubble for him.

_Jake, is that you? Buddy, it's Embry!_ Embry was ecstatic yet sad to finally hear his friend's voice.

I felt Sam change beside us, and it was a great thing that it was a dark night out since there were three wolves just standing out in the open yard behind the Black house. The grizzly bear rumors were annoying enough.

_Jake, it's Sam Uley. You're safe._

_Why the fuck are you in my head? What is this?!_ Jake's thoughts were confused, foggy and bewildered, but it missed the mark for any type of aggression.

_Can I leave now since we have an extra hand?_ I asked. Boredom struck again. A beer and a paper assignment called to me.

_Shut up, Paul. Jake, do you understand what's happened? That our legends are real?_ Sam was flat out ignoring my daydreaming.

Jake mulled through the legends he had heard since he was a baby and was mystified. _So ... the Protectors are us? We are wolves right now?_

_Yes._ All of the others sounded off unanimously.

_Oh we have ourselves a genius, everybody._ I groaned. Explaining this every time really was redundant.

They all followed Samuel's precedent and ignored me. Jake's mind was going at ten miles an hour, thinking of all of the legends before finally settling on an important detail. The fogginess over his thoughts faded and a growl reverberated throughout his chest once he realized the implications.

_The Cullens ... the cold ones?_ It was all he could get out, Jacob was so overwhelmed by anger and protectiveness.

Dead silence as we all recalled the recent fights we'd been having with the human eating leeches as of late. The crimson eyes, the bodies we had come upon too late, the speed that was difficult to avoid. It was a chilling topic to focus on, particularly with only Jared and Embry on patrol at the moment rather than the mandatory three that Sam generally imposed.

When the newbie absorbed all this information at once, it was a like a dam of hatred and pure fury burst within him. The sentiment finally matched the pack's own, and it fueled and melded us to a conformity of the likes we'd never reached until then.

All self-control was burned as I shook myself out of it. The others were all too out of it to form coherent thoughts.

_Uh guys? Snap the fuck out of it! It's too distracting for where Jared and Embry are at._ I nipped harshly at Sam's shoulder and he blinked in a started manner.

_Paul's right! Snap out of it, Jake, as natural alpha your emotions need to remain steady._ Sam used his best alpha tone, the one he used with me often.

Jacob immediately calmed and sent a feeling of apology over the pack mind. It was incredibly impressive for only being a wolf for about ten minutes. I couldn't help but feel envy.

And then the kid showed his scary stalker side, which quickly numbed any feelings of inadequacy that I might've entertained.

Thoughts of enticingly smooth skin, dark eyes, and a throaty laugh consumed his mind and my wolf took a step back at the intensity.

_Bella? Does she know? Is she safe? Why the fuck did Cullen date her?_ The kid was on an emotional roller coaster, and each moment he swung either too high or too low.

Sam controlled his sense of dread carefully. _The pack is a tribal secret, Jacob. Bella Swan, nor anyone outside the Council, is allowed to know. As for her knowing about the Cullen's, that incident of her going missing for all those hours when they left did not spell ignorance to me. It was... intense._ Images of a blue-skinned, shaking female assaulted us all and growls ripped from our chests, even mine, at the significance of it. A human could've easily died in that condition.

Jake's thoughts were minimal as he struggled to maintain a semblance of control. _Bella..._

Once again, it was a full-on leech lover show and I stifled a groan. The way he saw her was an extremely inaccurate depiction. Didn't even get the nice curve of her ass right or how ugly that twinge of red was on her cheeks.

With those thoughts, I _finally_ got my fight. A vicious lunge to my throat, such an instinctive attack that it was impossible to dodge. So I took it and twisted my body with the impact, rolling so I could dislodge the intruding canines. And I got my revenge back and then some when I was rewarded with his flesh between my teeth. Unlike the pup, though really impressive for only having been around for fifteen minutes, _I_ know how to hang on. I pressed my weight onto the point of pressure where my fangs were so he wouldn't be able to reverse my trick. It was obvious the little fucker learned quick.

_Paul! Get off him **now**._

Well, an alpha command is an alpha command. I spit out fur and growled as sassily as possible.

_Phase back, you're obviously not helping shit._ Sam snarled.

I was only too happy to oblige. I ran to the forest quickly and got within a walkable distance to my beloved shack. Once I phased, I was only too happy to saunter naked back through my back door and slam my body onto my recliner.

That was fun.


	4. Death March

**Paul's POV**

A set of extra paws proved invaluable as I hurdled closer and closer to midterms in school. I actually was given the opportunity to study more than I ever had in my life, which cemented my coveted GPA further onto my college transcript. As a result, I reigned back on the dickiness for the most part on our new recruit. Black certainly wasn't letting go of my comments about Bella, but the kid was just too obsessed about the subject to let anything slide.

Strain within the pack rose promptly with the leech lover show going twenty-four seven. If it weren't so entertaining, I would've thought about warning the babe that she went from one disgusting leech to a werewolf leech that was latched just as hard. The girl had a gift.

The days continued to creep and reports from Old Quil concerning Quil Jr. kept surfacing on how many detrimental signs kept appearing. The hot skin, the continuous growth spurts, and bursts of rage were highly unusual for a happy go lucky high schooler. Losing two best friends simultaneously seemed like a pretty good catalyst, and once again I wish Quil Ateara V would just join the fluffy side already. That shit was by no means fair.

Also, yet another wolf around finals time would be sweet.

"Hello, Paul, hungry?" An even, sweet voice shook me out of my college-induced selfishness and I looked up from my lap to see Emily trying to throw her mojo at me. Her full lips were drawn up in a smile that had the power to wash calm over me.

"Uh, sure." The math assignment I was working on was easy enough that I could probably manage to take a break.

The other guys paused while scarfing down the food like animals to give me a look about not doing the same. Sam was staring at that smile and was obviously awestruck. I repressed a snort and joined them at the beat up table that was surprisingly still standing.

"Swool caraha" Jared mashed out with his mouth full of banana bread while looking at me.

"What?"

This time he swallowed. "So Carla, huh?"

It took a second for me to realize who he was talking about. Carla was a girl who'd joined me last night as part of my midterm celebrations.

That had been fun, but a one time thing. I frowned when I realized that Jared knew, which meant Carla was blabbing. I typically kept my mouth shut about those kind of things, knowing that girls were typically judged harshly whilst dicks like me were praised. I might be a dick, but certainly not a sadist.

Jared laughed at my expression and shrugged. "It can't be helped, she was telling one of her besties at the gas station." He pointed to his ear.

I relaxed at that, and promptly shoved half a burger down my gullet. Studying and homework did take away from eating time and so I was always hungrier than the others. The disgusting sound of a feeding wolf pack consumed the room after that.

We were interrupted when the phone rang. Although it was Emily's house, the calls were usually from a council member to Sam. (He was still acting alpha as Black was too young at sixteen to take the mantle. It was a small mercy for the kid.) Sam ambled to the phone and answered it.

"Hey Billy, what's up?" We all instantly identified the caller by his breathing pattern. Jake looked up from his plate for a second to acknowledge his father before moving on to the spaghetti portion. Yeah, Emily cooked about three different meals to feed our fat asses every night.

"Not much, I just thought I should warn you all that Bella Swan hasn't given up seeing Jake yet. She seems to be suspicious since I can't let her come over and take care of him. " Billy's voice was heavy with exhaustion and I knew it was hard on him to keep the secret. He had a soft spot for his best friend's kid and certainly did not like keeping Jake and Bella apart.

Black froze and started to shake at the thought of Bella trying to get to him. My sympathy for the father dried up at the son. Something just wasn't right about that relationship.

Sam quietly ushered Emily out of the room before Jake could go fluffy on accident. Jared grabbed Jacob's shoulder and manhandled him out of the house. Sam quickly followed.

Embry sighed in exasperation as we were the only ones left in the kitchen, the remaining plates all that were left of the others. Emily's feet whispered in the hallway impatiently.

"Is it safe now?" She sounded bemused.

We both paused and listened. The sounds of a fight were very faint, distant to our ears that could hear for miles.

"Yeah, I suppose it is." Embry responded, sounding thoroughly aggravated.

We all sat together in silence at the table, mulling over the lifestyle where girls wanting to check on their friend-zoned "best friends" ended with fights in the woods. It was tiring and unavoidable, not to mention easy to hate the leech lover over.

Through Jacob's memories, I knew that Bella was a sweet, depressed girl who was oblivious to certain realities. Realities where acting like a hopeless dame resulted in playing a sweet boy like a fiddle and befriending vampires could very well end up with her family being killed. The ignorance annoyed me, as acting like a victim had only ever ended in black eyes and broken ribs from my old man. How selfish could one person be, albeit unknowingly?

I hated her, I decided. It was becoming blatantly obvious that the girl would bring her brand of trouble crashing down on my pack, my family. The resolution strangely calmed me as I picked my burger back up. Embry quickly followed suit.

My shift began that night and for once I wasn't complaining. I just wanted to find those leeches and feel like I wasn't going to lose everything again.

_Not again._

It was a week and a half later when we finally scented a leech following a definitive pattern. It wasn't as sporadic, as unpredictable. He was ducking in and around Forks, seeming to stick particularly around the high school. This worried Jake incessantly, who automatically believed it had something to do with the leech lover.

I suspected as much too, but her safety was hardly in my interest when considering the probable five hundred other kids at Forks High. All around, it would be convenient if it was just after one girl definitely knew what was going on than the remaining innocents.

 _Shut the fuck up, Paul._ Jacob's poisonous anger did little to deter my conviction that the world would be better off without Swan. But I thought about a girl that kept eyeing me up on the beach just to keep the peace nonetheless.

Several days passed with the leech continuing its habits. Sam ran the shifts in hyperdrive, and I had to get the Council to draft up a magical doctor's note excusing me from classes for a week. I prayed to the Spirits I wouldn't have to ask for more than that, cause it was nice leaving the Rez for classes. I missed it.

The strain on our bodies was increased tenfold, and I couldn't help but wonder if it would be more productive just to shoot bullets through our skulls. Thinking like men grew in difficulty while we were constantly wolves. It wasn't impossible, but it was uncomfortable for all of us. The tension between us increased as well.

Jared and I were circling and snapping at one another when the final straw landed on the metaphorical camel's back. After Forks High let out, Sam had some of us scoping out popular hangouts to keep the students safe and had also assigned Jake on Bella Swan's protective detail. Embry and Sam were watching LaPush. It was a decision that made viable sense; Keep the majority of the pack on the majority of people, and spare one asset for a possible complication. So, Jared and I were close to the roller rink (Forks teens are about fifteen years behind the rest of the world) when shit hit the fan.

 _I don't know where Bella went._ Jacob's thoughts crashed on us like a wave, and it quickly ended the posturing between me and Jared.

 _What the fuck do you mean? It's a **human** girl._ My exasperation met overwhelming assent among my brothers.

 _How the hell did you lose her?_ Sam's thoughts reflected the rest of ours. I was surprised by the acridity reflected there. Guess Jake was getting on everybody's nerves, not just mine.

 _She was sitting up in her room and all of a sudden she wasn't anymore._ Jake's thoughts were strangely groggy, uncertain of its assumptions.

It sent a red flag through us, because Jake's thought patterns never fogged, not even after a particularly long stretch with no sleep. He was the freshest from his break too. We all ignored it as we all sprang into action in a strategic sweep throughout our forest. There were no isolated places in Forks other than the forest, and it was where most of the feedings had been taking place. She had to be here.

I finally caught a scent maybe three minutes later. Lavender, Sam's mind automatically identified it as Bella's scent. As I traced along it and the others worked to join me, Sam couldn't keep finding Bella out of his mind. It was intense, the emotions of fear and anger that it caused our alpha. PTSD over a simple rescue seemed dramatic, but it was hard to deny the depth of his emotions.

We all joined together when creeping along the forest floor became necessary. The sickly sweet smell that merged with lavender was so strong. It was probably already too late, given that it took three seconds for a human to be drained of his or her blood and tossed away like trash. We all pointedly ignored the possibility.

It was a rush of relief to hear voices, one low and throaty that we knew from Jake's memories and the other too melodious to be human.

"They'll know that you did it. The entirety of the Cullen clan will know." Bella's voice was impressively calm, and fiery. It almost made me reevaluate my conviction to hate her.

"Victoria wants you, little girl. A mate for a mate is how she thinks of it. It's merciful for me to drain you now." The leech's voice sounded mockingly apologetic and hungry.

We were still about two miles out and going as fast as possible without risking the leech hearing the approach. It was slow even by human standards. The last time we sped it up, the vampire had heard and snapped the captive hunter's neck. The infuriating detail being that the vamp hadn't even had the time to drain all of the blood. Fucking evil.

"Then do it already. I haven't got all day."

We all froze in our hunting crawls, stunned by Bella's flat, hard words.

 _Little bitch really does have a death wish!_ I couldn't help but admire the steel; bitch was not really an insult.

 _Bella..._ Jake's anger and fear surfaced again too slow, his brain still foggy and weirdly feverish.

The leech was apparently surprised as well. "In all my years of existence, I've never had prey say that to me. You really are interesting, Isabella!" Sick glee coated his words.

Bella's breathing increased and her terror then became apparent to all of us. It reminded me of the time I had gotten the idiotic idea to challenge my old man rather than face another day, the realization that I was about to die. My heart had never beat as strongly as that day. It had been like a death march, beating its way into my grave.

I felt that heartbeat present itself again at that instant when I heard the leech's feet begin to walk, humanly slow, towards Bella Swan.

The decision to prioritize caution left all of our minds as we prepared the three second sprint it would take to get to the leech. The hope for a half of second warning before our assault was gone.

It would be annoying to find the body.


	5. Isabella Swan

**Paul's POV**

What happened in those next three seconds, it's impossible to say. We were sprinting, certain of the girl's demise when two more steps were heard. They were even lighter than the leech's steps that we had heard prior. Which wasn't possible. Couldn't be. There were two in that valley: a human and a leech. A human's footsteps were comparatively heavy, no matter how small and dainty the person. It was impossible.

A grunt, not sounding like a female, came to our ears.

The clearing we entered was alit with the full moon and it highlighted a scene that was unbelievable. The leech and Bella stood back to back, and the leech's arm was ripped, no _sliced_ , off. The snarls ripping from the leech were unreal, and in Bella's shaking hand was an ornate dagger that couldn't have possibly done the damage. Only our teeth could do that.

Bella spun around inhumanly fast, but the leech was faster. He lunged at her throat and it was with further disbelief that we watched the girl block him with her free arm. His teeth sunk down into the fabric of her shirt and into her forearm and crimson soaked the fabric. Bella in turn brought the dagger through the vamp's skull with a sickening crunch. She then, just as quickly, gathered her legs up and kicked across the leech's chest.

The resulting momentum freed her arm and dagger. She landed as light as cat, albeit still shaking and with that heart still thrumming, and ran from the still standing corpse. And the pace was fast, but it was easy to see that it wasn't as fast as a leech, or even us for that matter. And we all would've sat there, stunned into silence if it weren't for our alpha.

 _Jake, Embry, Jared, get the leech! Paul with me!_ We didn't need to be told twice.

I didn't look behind me as Sam and I raced towards Bella. My pack brothers could handle an injured leech perfectly fine, almost too easy with three against one. Bella, however, was an unknown and that was scary. Even with the blood streaming down her arm, the girl obviously wasn't as helpless as we all believed.

The sail of her hair beckoned as me and Sam began to outpace her.

Bella's graceful gate quickened, but it still was no match. We were almost at her heel when we reached the trees. And then she leapt upward, the moon casting a shine to her skin that was almost alien. Up above was a large oak that would've surely been a great help in evading us.

I caught her foot in my mouth in the nick of time. I was gentle regardless of the possible threat, and I felt Sam's approval. As we began our descent down, I threw Bella further down and landed with my teeth above her throat. _Checkmate._

I then saw her eyes, a honey brown with specks of gold in them. They almost shone like an animal's in the night. And then I felt a gentle push by the Spirits, my world wasn't gone but it wasn't all there either. I would die for this girl, be what she needed of me. But if it came between her and the pack, it wouldn't be her. _I would kill for her, but wouldn't betray my tribe for her_ , the Spirits whispered. The compulsion towards Isabella Swan wasn't all-consuming of my thoughts. It was merely a large part.

The pack was chaos in my mind as they soaked up the peculiar moment. Sam knew it wasn't _quite_ an imprint, but also not quite not an imprint. Jacob was beyond thought or reason, he was struggling against both Embry and Jared's holds on top of the leech's remains. Remains that needed burned.

Reality threw me into hyperdrive when I suddenly realized that there was still a threat and that my near-imprint was bitten. Bitten by a fucking vampire. Unable to bear my teeth at her throat any longer, I shifted. No one could've stopped me, and there was no attempt to.

I quickly pinned Bella's arms with my own as she started to scream and claw at me. It was surprising how difficult it was to detain her, but yet again not. She hacked off a vampire's arm off with a mere dagger.

Speaking of which, the dagger was no longer on her. I frantically tried to restrain her arms with one of mine as I ran my hand swiftly up and down her body looking in vain for a strap or holster. Half-way convinced that she was no longer packing, I loosened my hold slightly.

Bella sensed the change in atmosphere and stopped screaming. The shaking of her body that had started in the meadow did not cease.

"Wh-who are you?" Her voice, which had been confident and cool in front of a bloodthirsty predator, now cracked and held unshed tears. It was evident she was at the end of her rope.

"Not enemies." Was all I could get out before I stopped restraining her altogether and embraced her. She was so small. As if she could feel the effects of our bond as well, our muscles relaxed. It was so fucking confusing.

I fought the wolf inside of me and let her go once I was sure she wouldn't run. I rolled up to my feet and offered a hand.

Swan stared at me with a pucker on her brow and fear in her eyes, still dazed. "You're Quileute ... and a shapeshifter." It was a weird hybrid of a question and a statement.

A chuckle escaped me. "You're white and I don't know what the fuck else."

In that instant, Bella's face darkened and shut down. I knew she wouldn't tell me what had enabled her to do what she did, and somehow I didn't mind. There were more pressing matters. I pointed at her forearm.

"That isn't good, sweetie." What an understatement. _Please, Spirits, don't make me kill my kinda imprint right when I met her._ I wasn't normally a praying man, but I was now.

Bella gazed at her arm and clutched her wrist to support holding it up. "The venom is hurting me and will continue to get a lot worse for the next few days,"She said quietly with those beautiful eyes downcast, "but I won't turn into one of them and it will heal."

My heart soared in triumphant and relief. She'd be okay.

Bella stiffened. My brothers were surrounding us now, silently guarding me as well as watching Swan. At the thought of her harming them, I quickly assessed the situation. We didn't know what my mate was, and she had no intentions of telling us. There was at least one other leech out there which probably wanted a chunk out of her, gathering from what the now truly dead vampire had said. She was injured. There was also the off chance she was lying, which would've been odd since I should've been able to sense that. Imprints couldn't lie to each other.

I looked at the one wolf, pitch black in color, who had the authority in this situation. "What do we do, Sam?"

Sam trotted forward to us. It was odd for me because I never realized how tall we were in wolf-form. His head was at my shoulder. Sam approached until he was looking down at Bella, forcing her to meet his eyes.

She stiffened and lifted her chin in a regal expression, showing that bitchy steel that I had admired earlier. She didn't look away. Pride unfurled inside my chest, along with a certain amount of uncertainty. I wasn't ready to care for someone like this.

Whatever Sam saw in her eyes convinced him. He tilted his head slightly to his side, exposing his neck. Bella observed this with wide shining eyes, and I could've sworn happiness shown through. Heart beating rapidly still, she tilted her neck back and averted her eyes. She had accepted his leadership.

The exchange was not quite animal communication and it wasn't human either. It was a language between two predators. When Sam turned around and began a trot back toward LaPush with Bella following, I could've done a victory dance. My mate would be safe there.

 _Easy there, asshole, you don't even know her yet._ My thoughts did little to my overjoyed emotions.

I shifted back to keep up with the others. The walk was quiet, with a seething yet sad Jacob in the background. Keeping my mind blank was very difficult.

We reached our chief's house and I shifted next to Bella. "We've got to get some clothes on, wait here." I whispered closely to her ear and the girl sucked in a breath whilst turning a brilliant red. I turned and I could feel her eyes burning a hole in my back. I worked it like a catwalk, hoping she was looking at my ass.

Yeah, I'm a dick, even to my almost-imprint.

We all quickly joined her again in the yard and Bella's glowing eyes took us all in. "Jake?" She asked when she saw him. A slight, hesitant smile lit up her face for a second, but quickly disappeared when she saw his closed-down expression. I wanted to smack it off him.

"I'm ... sorry. I couldn't tell anyone." Bella offered in a small voice.

I stifled an eye roll at the Jake-Bella show. Of course she would think it was because it was for lying to him about whatever she was. No, it was for something way less justifiable. He was angry for not being able to make her _his_. I would personally make sure that never happened.

She glanced at Sam, "Sorry for thinking you were a gang leader." She was very sheepish, and now had her good hand rubbing the back of her neck in a very human gesture. How cute.

Sam's severe expression relaxed into humor. "We both made wrong assumptions, let's forget about it."

Billy's lights were off and we had Jacob go into the house first to get the old man prepared for the situation. We all tried not to eavesdrop, though Bella's nose would scrunch in embarrassment every once in awhile when Jacob got to the fight between her and the leech and again when saying I sorta imprinted on her. _Why did the little freak have to have good hearing too?_

She shot me a questioning look. "You're Paul?"

Holy fuck she didn't know my name. Why the hell would she know my name? I'm such an idiot. It was my turn to be sheepish. "Yeah, I'll explain everything about the whole imprinting thing later."

Bella nodded and tried to suppress a smile that was blossoming. She was as lost as I was. I tried not to think of a special way I could show her what imprinting meant.

 _Down boy._ I commanded myself and my dick. They both hated me for it.

Billy rolled to the porch. "Come on everyone, I take it we have a lot to discuss." It was easy to hear the amazement in his voice.

We all crammed into the Black kitchen one by one. It was a tight fit, with all of us wolves shoulder to shoulder on one side of the kitchen, and Billy and Bella on the other. The distance between the two was tense, as it was easy to tell that the two were close in an odd way.

Billy had watched Isabella Swan grow up.

"Will you tell us how this," Billy gestured to Bella's wound, "came to be where you're still standing." There was no judgement in the tone and only concern.

Bella bit her lip and glanced around nervously. I fought the urge to kiss that habit away.

We all, after all, still didn't know what or who she was. She could still be dangerous.

I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was dangerous to me.


	6. Circles

**Paul's POV**

"I can only tell you some ... of it. Just about me." Bella peeked at us through her thick lashes, looking slightly apologetic. "Which I know isn't really fair, but there are others like me that deserve their privacy."

We absorbed that. It made sense. Silence ensued and Bella seemed to gather herself, her nerves shining through.

"I'm half-human, on Charlie's side, as you could probably guess." She nodded to Billy, "He can't know, because it would needlessly hurt him I think, not cause I don't think he could handle it." She stopped again. I felt sympathy because she appeared so lost and overwhelmed.

Billy's face fell at the thought of keeping another secret from Charlie. "This has something to do with Renee?"

She closed her eyes and then looked at me, seeming to draw strength from somewhere. "Yes. I fear that if he knows I'm not human, he will think Renee left him for a different reason other than stated. I don't want to give him false hope... Renee is the one person where Dad isn't reasonable, I want him to move on, to be happy. He can't afford that setback. So _please_ don't tell him." She stared down at Billy, showing that bitch I loved so much. _Wait, did I just think the "L" word, gross._

Billy looked equally as fierce in that moment, "I don't agree with your assessment of Charlie's strength, but if he finds someone, you tell him."

Bella nodded, seeming to agree with Billy's terms. That taken care of, she seemed out of things to say.

Our chief took charge. "Do you mind if we ask you some questions?"

"I'll answer what I can." Bella inclined her head, gracefully. I was finding it difficult to focus on her words and not just her face. I didn't care what the hell she was at this point. She was mine. _Slow it up, creep._ I really was in a bad place.

"Are you a danger to humans?" Embry asked.

Bella didn't even blink. "No. I eat, sleep, and dream like a human. Other than my strength, I'm relatively safe unless threatened."

This time is was Jacob's turn. "What happens when you're threatened?" His voice was dead.

"I can subconsciously influence people's attention away from me, but only if it's life-threatening. Some real adrenaline has to be going on and it's not voluntary on my part. Doesn't work on vamps. That's unique to me, not my kind, sort of like how some humans are double-jointed or have a sixth sense."

I liked the idea of Bella having such a unique way to protect herself.

Jacob's hand slammed on the table. "Like when you went missing from your room?" He started to shake at the memory until Jared grabbed his shoulder gently and shook his head.

Bella's eyes widened. "Th-that was you, Jake? I thought for days it was a vampire watching me." The last part was a whisper. The fear in her voice was hard to deny and Jake's face automatically relaxed. He stepped forward and now put his hand on her shoulder.

"Oh Bells." My girl looked thrilled to have her friend-zoned shmuck talking to her again.

I coughed loudly and they broke apart. Bells glared at me. Maybe I was taking things too far. Whole protective boyfriend thing used to piss me off. Some time was definitely needed to sort my sad ass out.

Bella then closed her eyes and let a sharp hiss of air out through her teeth and it was only then that I remembered that she was hurt. Whatever we had, it was a little bit weaker than a full imprint for sure.

I asserted myself then. "Billy, can we get Sue down here? She needs some treatment. Enough of the twenty questions for now."

The elder Black looked properly concerned and turned back into the Billy that still saw Bella as his best friend's kid. "Alright, Bella could you lay down on the sofa, I'll call Sue and then your dad."

Bella opened her mouth to protest about Charlie but was interrupted. "He doesn't have to know it _all_ , but knowing you're hurt goes without argument. It's his right."

Bella looked annoyed but ready to lay down. Her long chocolate hair was a bedraggled mess. "But I snuck out, I _thought_ I was leading a vampire away from Charlie earlier." She sounded more than a little annoyed.

Billy looked as proud as I once again felt. "So that's what you did, you snuck out to see Jacob and you got your arm torn up in a barbwire fence around Sam's house. You might get grounded, but he will know."

She looked thoughtful for a second before a resigned expression won over. "You're right, I can bear to be grounded as long as he knows I'm not in a ditch somewhere. Though that story will make me seem crazier than I already do." Grim humor shone through at the last statement. She shuffled out of the kitchen, no longer looking responsible or regal.

"Such a burden to have by one's self." Billy murmured, the pity shining on his face now that she could no longer see it.

We all nodded in agreement and Jacob looked properly ashamed of himself. But then curiosity shone on his face. "Bells?" He called, not bothering to raise his voice since he now knew she could hear him.

"Yes?"

"What about all those klutz fits?"

The boyish, warm laugh was not quiet. "All a cover, Jake my old pal, all an act. I have to have fun somehow." The sound of Bella shifting on the couch was comforting, her breathing showing she was pretty close to sleep.

A smile curved my lips at the thought of my mate being so playful and mischievous. There's no way she could keep up otherwise. Although that motorcycle accident definitely deserved retribution on Jacob's part. That had been plain mean-spirited.

Although... something hadn't been right that day with her. It hadn't all been an act. Hearing her sleep calmed me, and I resolved to get to the bottom of that only when she was ready. It'd been quite a few days since I'd been in human form and I was ready to rest anyway.

I headed to the living room, looked at the tiny sofa that held an even tinier Bella. Her wounded hand was still cradled to her chest and her breathing movements were steady. The blood had dried to a rusty brown and definitely needed cleaning. I frowned. How did I deserve her? Just the other day I had judged her for ... fraternizing with vampires and leading my pack brother on. And now that I knew that everything wasn't quite so black and white, although the whole Jake thing certainly was, I wanted her. What an asshole I am.

Why hadn't the Spirits destined her for Jacob? This was all so confusing and new.

It was getting too late to marvel at my luck any longer. Exhaustion didn't leave any more room. I laid down on the ground and was out like a light. I had no intentions of awaking until much, much later.

Sue Clearwater was not a weak woman. She had an iron hold on her household with two warring teenagers within. She tended to LaPush's elderly and ailing without blinking, and she was the one that decided when things required medicine she couldn't provide. It wasn't often she had to make that call.

Yes, Sue could handle just about anything that was thrown at her, but she hated getting calls of accidents with children around her own's age. It was usually as a result of stupid thinking and more than a little alcohol, with blood involved since teenagers normally didn't get sick. Treating those cases without just sending them to a hospital was annoying to say the least. When Billy called saying Charlie's girl hurt her arm at around 3 AM, Sue assumed the usual and brought her kit.

It was surprising to see the entirety of the Protectors all there, dark circles underneath their eyes and drooping in various poses of exhaustion on the Blacks' living room floor. Sue personally found it terrifying that their legendary Protectors were but mere boys. Who were _they_ , the people of LaPush, to ask all of that from _them_? As a mother, it was hard to cope with.

Something was ... different with the lot of them. She could feel it in her bones. It was with even more prominent of a feeling when she saw Billy waiting for her. He gave wry smile when he spotted the questioning expression on her face. "This'll end up a Council meeting, I'm sure."

Sue opened her mouth, about to ask, but deftly changed her mind. She had a job to do. "Where's Bella?"

Billy frowned. "On the sofa."

Sue moved swiftly, careful to avoid stepping on wolf boys. Paul was straight on his back, snoring impossibly loud right below her patient. She snorted in exasperation at the obstruction and was about to nudge the boy awake with her foot when Sam Uley grabbed hold of her shoulder and shook his head.

"It's probably best to have him asleep for this, let me get her. We can take Jacob's room." Dark circles traced his eyelids and Sue wondered why he himself wasn't getting rest.

The alpha leaned over and gathered the small girl in his arms. Sue noticed that Bella's color was unusually flushed and sleek with sweat. Her left arm was wrapped in a shirt sleeve and resembled a horror film prop. Streaming rivers of brown hair that she had always admired on the girl cast a flag over his arm as Sam navigated the small home.

Sue sucked in a breathe and focused on the task at hand once Bella was placed on the bed. She efficiently picked the items that she would probably need from the supply bag: gauze, disinfectant, thread in case stitches were needed. Normally this would be a hospital visit, but if this was pack business then care had to be taken. Billy would never endanger Charlie's kid.

The Quileute woman was even inclined to believe that this level of discretion was in the best interest of Bella. She had to believe that her people would do right by their friends, no matter what.

The sleeve had to come off to see the wound. It was amazing the girl was still sleeping, and Sue took care in cutting her left sleeve, satisfied in getting the gunky cast out of the way. But then Sue stared and couldn't look away from all that she saw.

"Sam." It was only a whisper that she had mustered but the alpha entered the room less than a second afterwards nonetheless.

"Holy fuck." Sam sounded devastated and a little sick. "She'd said the bites wouldn't effect her. I'd wondered how she knew..."

 _Vampire bites?_ Sue looked at the scarred skin with new eyes. _**How** was she alive?_

They looked like dog bites that hadn't healed properly. They were all around the lower part of her arm, with the fresh wound becoming a bloody centerpiece to the marks. The newest mark was cleaner cut then the other ravaged ones. The bloodsuckers had _held_ on. Sue looked closer to inspect the bite, it was just on the edge of not requiring stitches. A good clean, she deliberately tried not to think of the poison involved, and Bella would be good to go.

"Sue? Can we see Bella's other arm? Chief Swan will be here soon and we are unfortunately under obligation to keep those scars a secret. I doubt these are it." Sam was past the initial shock of the bites, and intent on making Bella's life the least difficult possible.

"We will wrap the other arm up and say she hurt both of them." He murmured thoughtfully.

Sue was scandalized at the thought of not telling a father something this important. But her faith in the integrity of Billy Black and their brave Protectors sealed her mouth as she sheared off the piece of fabric with deft fingers.

It was a slight relief to see only two bites, not nearly as jagged as the others, present on her wrist. The total of seven marks on the other arm had been overwhelming. There was something that completely distracted from the scars as well. It turned out the scars weren't the only thing Isabella Swan had been hiding.

The entire design was black and creeping. Intricate, delicate swirls crept up her entire arm starting at her wrist, looking almost too real for a tattoo and quite suffocating. They seemed to be avoiding the scars that shared the wrist, and edging upward towards her shoulders. Sue could've sworn that they tightened their hold on the flesh before their very eyes if it didn't sound utterly insane.

The swirls all seemed to curve inward towards the back of Bella's arm. Sue couldn't help herself and gently lifted and was once again surprised. The swirls were wrapped around the entirety of a long dagger which seemed to almost glint down the forearm. It was a beautiful, yet dangerous design.

"Interesting, so that's where it went." Sam now had a thoroughly fascinated set to his brow, and was somehow calmer than before. His fingers gently touched the marking, and a hiss released from Sue, when she watched those bindings relax around the blade. It was no trick.

The bindings were pulling from some location hidden by the rest of Bella's shirt and Sue resisted the urge to pull the rest of it off to find the origin. The girl's privacy had been invaded enough. "That's enough, Samuel. We are wrapping her up once I clean the fresh one."

Sue kept her hands very gentle as she worked, almost as if she were touching cracked china. Any more pressure and it'd all fall apart. This girl was her Leah's age. She deserved not a single ounce more of pain, and it was obvious she was fighting through a minor fever at the moment. Sue had a feeling that the girl had been alone when the majority of those bites had been inflicted, and the healer inside Sue would make sure she was never alone again.

Sue left on a mission to go speak with her husband. The Council meeting needed someone in Isabella's corner and Sue had a way of making things happen despite not being a council member herself.

A kid needed help and she was a mother.


	7. Repentance

**Bella's POV**

The sick, wet plopping into the toilet bowl seemed to egg on the incessant stream of puke that I was producing. My head and lungs burned, my body felt like it had been hit by a truck, and my _szőlő_ grew wild trying to escape the pain that clung to my skin.

Vampire bites always took a heavy toll on me. It was a struggle to stay quiet, so that Charlie would remain ignorant that I'd tried to tango with the walking dead as of late.

As I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, I wondered at how much easier my life would be if Charlie could just know what I am. It would be so convenient to just be able to say, "Hey, Charlie, about my last few months of being a total zombie, it wasn't entirely as shallow and as immature as everyone thinks..." or even "Charlie, I've gotta head out and practice some fighting in the woods, not doing drugs." Yeah, any interaction even remotely resembling that would just be plain peachy. We could be close again like when I was little, no secrets. But unfortunately, full disclosure with anyone would mean I would have to leave Forks for good and would have to go back. Which I would never allow to happen. Ever.

The wolves of LaPush finding me was probably as lucky as I would ever have it. They understood what it meant to keep a secret and suspected enough to where I could be myself. No more acting and a little companionship. Time with Jacob, my sun. That's what I hoped to get out of maybe getting to know them all better. Despite the outcome of a fresh bite and this horrendous setback with Charlie, it felt worth it.

Back to the Charlie situation ... to say he was angry was an understatement. I'd faced death on countless occasions, and I swear I find Charlie angry, no disappointed, a _million_ times more distressing. I wanted to be the normal, happy child he wanted so much, but it seemed as though a higher power had other plans predestined for me. It sucked.

A lot of smooth talking from Billy and a testimony from Sam Uley had mitigated the damage as much as possible. The official story was that I had been fed up with thinking Jake was in a gang and that I finally decided to confront them all directly with the help of Quil, who was also conveniently shut out by the pack. Quil had picked me up after I had snuck out and we'd stormed Sam's place together (The addition of Quil excused the presence of my car in the driveway. ). And in order to storm said place, there'd been a barbwire fence involved.

Never before had my elaborate "klutsy human" ruse been more useful. It had been a mannerism cultivated when I was young carefully by Renee, who'd known that those of my kind would have considerably more scars than humans. Much like how great whites were covered in battle scars, it was our way. The klutz game had always resulted in sugary rewards from Renee, and I'm sure I would've had at least ten cavities by now if it had been possible to get a cavity.

Thanks to this habit, my severely scratched arms had been bandaged by Sue after Sam had caught me and Quil trespassing. We had been promptly taken to Billy, who'd informed all parents of the incident. Despite the trouble I was in, it was good to see Charlie trust Billy again. Any suspicions he had about "tribal secrets" were on hold as I explored the possibilities of criminal trespassing. Sam Uley telling Charlie that he wouldn't press charges and only asking that I join in on their LaPush community service projects from now on had cleansed any ill thoughts that my father could've possibly had.

After all, I would be getting out of the house and being punished in a constructive way. I was happy with that particular arrangement, but it didn't mean I'd gotten away totally scot-free. It turns out Charlie was far more capable than I had ever anticipated even in my wildest dreams. _The madman had taken my books._

I had turned to books when Jake had joined Sam's crew to pass the time. Many years had been the accruement period of those volumes and it was difficult to sleep without reading a chapter now. It was an outlet that I had never thought I would have to do without.

Sometimes it was difficult to not punt Charlie back to the police station because of the brutality of the reprimand. My legs were always my strongest feature, and maybe the thirteen miles distance could be achieved with some training. But I loved him, and he was definitely in the right in the context in which he had taken the books.

 _I still didn't deserve it though._ My childish alter ego bickered with the rest of me.

My body rested pathetically on the floor as the incessant nausea tried to simmer. Cold tremors racked up my body.

The sound of the toilet flushing stoked it back up to full flame.

**Paul's POV**

Distance was rattling my nerves as I fought not to run to the Swan's residence to get close to _her_. She needed space and so did I. Bella needed it because she'd told us she'd be sick and grounded for the next couple of days. Myself because I was freaking out.

I was mated for life. To a girl of half of a species I didn't even know. She seemed the reserved type while I was a bit of a party boy. She probably had coitus with a vampire. I wasn't even comfortable smelling a vampire. Our bond that was the sole reason that I was drawn to her was strong enough to fuck me up, but not enough to lose myself enough to not care about the little details. (Which, by the way, is not normal for an imprint pair.) Yeah, everything seemed a little out of wack.

"Paul, quit worrying, it'll be fine." Emily chastised me gently as she slid a muffin towards me.

I bit into the muffin haughtily and squinted my eyes at my motherly friend. She lifted a regal eyebrow and proceeded to serve the remainder of the batch out to my pack brothers. I wanted those guys gone so I could confide in Emily. She was the smartest and calmest, and I trusted her implicitly. More so than even Sir Alpha.

How do I know this? The girl was my number one backer on going to college even when I turned into a werewolf. I'd be lost without her. She'd fought Billy, forced Sam to stand up for me in front of the Council, and even co-signed on my loans to ensure my future. I didn't have parents anymore, but the big sister I had in Emily was more than enough.

Jake laughed loudly at something Embry said. It was awkward with the kid. He wasn't even close to accepting the bond between me and Bella, particularly because of its strength. When Bella would start hanging with us in the next couple days, I had heard his plans through the pack mind to have her so thoroughly distracted she wouldn't even glance at a fucker like me.

They weren't too shabby in all honesty.

I wasn't sure I wanted to fight those plans. Bella deserved someone less broken than me, even if it was a cocky little boy who didn't even see her correctly. That incident with the leech biting her would've scared anyone, different species or not. If it would've been one of us, we would be dead, our mortal enemy's venom being our literal kryptonite. She had shown her bravery, and that trait alone made me unworthy of her.

My self-pity was interrupted when I realized that the room was clear and Emily was looking at me with her big, wide browns. She sat on the bar stool next to me, clearly indicating that I had to spill my guts out.

"This is so damn _confusing_." I blurted out roughly.

"Not really. At least she's not dating anyone and you're not dating her cousin. And she knows about you and didn't freak. She also can handle herself from what Sam told me, so you probably can't give her a face like mine without some real effort. As far as I can tell, all the major possible problems have been addressed. Now you two just need to find out what you are to each other."

The calm delivery deeply contrasted the heightened flood of shame it caused within me. "Spirits help me, I'm sorry, Emily. I'm such an insensitive dick."

Emily had an amused glint in her eye and her smile tugged charmingly around the scar to show straight white teeth. "Yeah, but that's why you're one of my favorites, Paul. You never even flinched when you first saw my face even before you were a wolf, no other has displayed that ability to accept things the way they are. I've tried to tell Sam to go easier on you."

The idea of Sir Alpha going easy on me created a deep rumble of laughter I couldn't contain. I sobered quick. "Not a single wolf in the pack approves of me being with her. Black particularly."

Emily gave a scoff and made a silly face. "Well, when's the last time you've shown them you can care for someone other than yourself, Paul? They hear your thoughts and know you look down on them for not wanting to go to college, not to mention how few ties you have to anyone. You're judgy and then again not in the oddest ways, sweetie. If I was a wolf, it'd be almost impossible to be in your corner. As for Jake, can you blame him? He loves her."

I nodded in agreement and mulled the new insights over in my head. Never did I let my deep feelings cross into the pack mind where it didn't belong. I was the asshole I had to become to protect myself when I was young, only on the inside as well when I was in wolf form. It suited me just fine until now, when suddenly their opinions on Bella and me mattered.

"What should I do?" The question was all I had left at this point.

"Well, that doesn't have an easy answer, really." Emily tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Just get to know her and quit worrying so much? Maybe let her sort things out with Jake first."

I definitely didn't like that last part and it showed. Emily laughed. "If it's a true bond, which I think it is after what Sam told me, then let her figure it out herself. It'll be hard to get her mind off you."

That part, I liked. My lips curved mischievously and the darkness must've shown because Emily frowned.

"Well, I probably shouldn't of said that part. Poor Bella." She sighed dramatically.

I couldn't contain my laughter. I had a great idea on what to do now.


	8. Brand New

Bella had phoned Billy to tell him that she was finally over the physical side effects of the bite about four days after the fact. To say that the pack would be excited was an understatement. Sam was a little excited himself. Nothing much other than thankless patrols and classes at school for the most of them, Spirits knew Sam's pack brothers were always looking for a little excitement.

"When will she be over for her community service?" Sam asked curiously over the receiver. He tried not to give a purr when he felt Emily hug him from behind. His mate was always so loving.

Sam had offered the whole community service alibi for Bella for two official reasons: she was kinda imprinted to Paul (that shit needed figured out) and she had valuable experience fighting vampires. Additionally, the alpha believed everyone deserved a family, people to confide in. Bella, for all appearances and purposes, was alone at Forks. Sam had been all alone once and that period had been the most depressing months of his life. He wouldn't wish it on anyone.

"She said she would be by after school today." Billy's smile was impossible not to hear. Sam, Harry Clearwater, and the chief had all fought gallantly to make this happen.

That council meeting had been particularly irritating to attend, with Old Quil's fear of a possible threat like Bella. Which was dumb, considering Bella and Paul had imprinted with all of the Protectors as witness. Isabella Swan was officially now Quileute. After a long and fiery debate, Old Quil had eventually conceded to the outsider as long as he was allowed periodic "check-ups" on Bella. How utterly redundant.

"Good, I'll let the others know." Sam almost bounced up and down on the balls of his feet. Emily giggled.

Sam kissed Emily's hands, her scar, and then her mouth before he bounded out of the door. He tore into the woods, shifted, and let out a long howl.

 _Geez, what's got your panties up in a twist._ Paul's thoughts came sharp and aggressive as usual, and Sam was always surprised at the sheer nimbleness of them. Although he was sarcastic and a total hothead, the boy was not dumb in the slightest. Not seeing Bella for a few days had created a new level of truculence that Sam would've been able to forgive in anybody else for the circumstances. Not Paul Lahote.

 _Oh fuck._ Paul's thoughts had frozen in equal parts of fear and anticipation as he had put the pieces together. Thoughts of submitting an incomplete assignment drifted through, with an automatic dismissal of the idea. He'd do it later.

Sam let out a wolfish snort and was glad when the others became present after Changing.

 _ **What** , Sam? It's the middle of a school day! _Jared grounded out, an unusual complaint. He saw Bella's call. _Oh wait, never mind that's awesome!_ He faded back out, heading back to classes.

Jacob let go of an impressive amount of worried glee before disappearing too while Embry emitted slight concern for his friend's heart. The stray sentiment worsened Paul's dread, and Sam could almost swear the depth of emotion wasn't something he'd been witness to before from the grey wolf. In fact, his emotions always felt muted, stunted by the violent past that stained every corner of his conscience. Him seeing Bella's eyes was the only time that the gates had been lifted, and it had been intense.

 _Yeah, yeah. Fuck off._ Sam rolled his eyes at Paul's reprimand. His aggressive thoughts had always been wide open, on the other hand.

Only once Sam was back in human form, helping Emily garden, did he dare remember Bella's scars. He so did not want to be around when Paul discovered those.

••••••••••••••••••••••

**Bella's POV**

My beloved truck crept at glacial speed to the beautifully kept, but humble house of Sam's. Billy had called it Emily's house. Emily as in Sam's fiancé. I was intrigued by the notion of a human girlfriend of an alpha shapeshifter. She had to have a gift of some kind to handle the supernatural. Humans were so fragile, and I was always coddled by my family for being half-human.

 _They rarely let me forget it._ Shuddering off the pointless reminiscing, I parked the truck best I could and approached the peeling white of the front door. Flowers lined the windowsills and I couldn't help but to consider the romantic notion that Sam had found those beautiful wildflowers just for her. I had barely raised my hand to knock when the door blasted open in a fantastic display.

"Bells! Thank goodness you're here! Are you all good from your vamp wrestling Friday?!" Jake's cheerful voice boomed as he playfully picked me up effortlessly by my armpits and shook me with the ending of each sentence.

I winced slightly at the vamp bite that still seared my skin in an ancient warning of pain. Few things heal at a human rate on my body, but vamp bites were one of them. It was a blessing I had any sort of immunity at all. Before Jake could strengthen his grip on me, I slid out in a rapid twist and landed on my feet.

I then did something I had always wanted to do since Jake had thought it was cute to grab me any time he wanted. I picked him up and swung him and held him up above my head with both arms. I grinned at his handsome, upside-down face that showed quite a bit of shock. "How's it going, Jake?" I shook him too and I could feel his laugh.

"I always knew you were a man." He mocked, and I dropped him casually while I let out a wallop of snickers.

"Yeah, well now it's time to steal all of the girls from you. I'm quite ... _charming_." I flexed my still bandaged right arm importantly.

Jake swooped a hand to his forehead in a demure swoon and it cracked me up more. Almost hysterically so. I felt so free and myself, more so than I had in months. Something had finally worked out and I had my best friend back.

Jake took my hand and led me into the small home, which made me feel a sudden rush of shyness. I did not know any of these guys, in fact they were doing me a favor just by letting me over here. Them not liking me would make this super awkward, if it wasn't already.

The kitchen was modest but so homey that I instantly relaxed. Two wolf boys, one that I recognized as Embry and an unknown one who appeared strangely cocky, looked up from the midst of a delicious-looking lasagna. Up against the counters with his shoulders touching the shoulders of a slender, gorgeous woman was Sam. They were both watching the boys with fond eyes and Sam casually noticed us, as though most of everybody hadn't heard us in the foyer.

"Bella." The fondness in his tone surprised me and only served to comfort me further.

I purposely let go of Jake's hand and went forward to shake Sam's. Renee, despite her naive approach to most things in an ever changing world, always told me warriors present themselves. I wanted them to respect me to a point, even if they were stronger and faster. "So what now?" I asked.

Sam pursed his lips thoughtfully at the question. "Well, you were a little too damaged to answer many questions the other day."

I nodded. "I have questions for you guys, too." A lot, actually. They were an isolated species compared to the ones I'd always known of. There were rumors of isolated "miracles" as my mother called them, but it had always seemed as if they were myths.

The irony of that sentiment coming from _my mother_ was not difficult to miss.

Sam shrugged. "We don't have to do it all at once. I should probably tell you what I wanted in suggesting you spend time with us." He caught the animated curiosity on my face and chuckled, "Well, it's pretty simple. It's obvious you have some knowledge and experience about leeches that we just don't have."

"Yeah, I don't see how knowledge sharing could hurt anything." I agreed readily. A sudden thought occurred, distracting me from the topic at hand. "Is everybody in LaPush a wolf?"

Everybody in the kitchen laughed, including Sam. I pushed down the chagrin I felt and shrugged. How was I to know?

"No, only specific families carry the wolf gene, and it's only dominant when vampires are in the proximity."

 _So it was a defense mechanism that humans developed?_ I had never heard of anything like that before. It somewhat reminded me of the few gifts that the Cullens had enhanced from their previous lives when they had Changed. Carlisle would probably be drooling on his scrubs in anticipation over a phenomena like this one.

 _The Cullens ..._ My thoughts turned to ice at the implications, _they're why the Pack is here now._ It was difficult to maintain my composure as Sam looked into my eyes self-assuredly. Even the other day, the nomad Laurent would not have been wandering the woods if it hadn't been to seek revenge against the Cullens. There wasn't a single chance that the Cullens hadn't known about the LaPush wolf genes. I remembered Esme telling me it was one of their oldest homes.

I shoved those thoughts away because of the pain it carried with it. The past was over with and I wasn't feigning my ignorance on LaPush; I had no clue what was going on.

"Are there more vamps around?" I asked, hoping that they had an extra tracking sense that I didn't have. My nose was good, but it couldn't tell species apart.

All of the shapeshifters avoided my gaze and then it became apparent how _tired_ they all were. The one I assumed to be Emily bit her lip and for the first time she was at an angle where I noticed large, deforming face scars, not unlike ones I'd grown up seeing.

_We weren't the only people to be cursed then._

"Yeah, we have been scenting two leeches for about a month now." Jake was the one to answer, his arm coming around my waist again.

A howl ripped through the woods behind the house. The boys hardly took notice except Jake, who winced and loosened his grip. I hardly noticed, my heart racing at the possibility that one of those monsters was still lurking around my home. It had been a faint hope that Laurent had been bluffing about Victoria, but it was clear that naivety wouldn't get me out of this shit-storm.

"Dang it." Jake muttered, and I noticed he was glaring at his alpha with a lot of heat behind his gaze.

"Go." Something mystic floated through the air, and Jake mechanically, very slowly turned away from me and walked out of the back door. Jared snickered quietly while he stuffed more lasagna down his gullet.

I wasn't given much time to ponder the mystic wolf-mojo when a maleficent bark of laughter came from outside. The sound was almost evil in its infliction, but the childish glee within it made my head go to the side in curiosity. _What was going on?_

The back door opened with a boom and Paul slinked through, his shirt off, and a crispy white smile shining past his beautiful russet skin. I had always thought Jake was objectively beautiful, but there was no describing the not-so-objective reaction I had to Paul in that moment. I had seen him before, but I had kinda been burning with vampire venom at the time and had thus been preoccupied.

His features were sharper than the others, and his jaw looked ... bitable. His eyes were almost black and his lips were just full enough to where I was interested in how they would feel on mine. I blinked in confusion. When had I ever thought about males like this?

 _It's not possible._ My evil self-conscious tainted at me. _You're broken and lélek összetört._ The inner insult was like a douse of water to my flame and I struggled not to grab at my stomach to hold myself together in a grief that could hardly comprehended. I was so consumed with conflict that I did not even notice the source of my distraction standing two feet in front of me.

My eyes refocused and at my eye level all I could see was that strong jaw clenched in some kind of strong emotion. I suddenly remembered seeing Paul's butt and my cheeks flamed right at the wrong moment. Curses, but I was an inconvenient blusher.

"So I've decided to call you It, cause the ambiguity of whatever the hell you are reminds me of Cousin It." A rough, dangerous voice teased from those sinful lips.

"I-I like The Addams Family." I stuttered like a dork. A nickname this early in the pack? I could handle it, as long as the blood in my face didn't mean my heart would stop in the nearby future.

"I like it too."

"W-well that's good, maybe we could watch it together?"

Paul's gaze left my eyes to skim my body appreciatively. His eyes sparkled with wicked humor. "I'll have to pass, our first date will have to be more _stimulating_ than that."

Embry choked on lasagna and I was brought hurtling back to reality with that statement. Not only had I invited that jerk to watch one of my favorite shows without thinking, he'd used it as a chance to size me up! My face steamed for a different reason and I saw Paul take a step back.

"Easy woman, I was just kidding."

I was just about to stutter my way through some sort of comeback when an angelic interference graced us. "Bella, want something to eat? I'm Emily, by the way."

My stomach rumbled and I looked away from Paul gratefully. The spell snapped, and suddenly my time was my own again. I had been taunted plenty of times in my life, why let it bother me now? "Sure, Emily. I'm afraid I have been a little too out of it to cook these past few days so Charlie has been force-feeding me fast food." I laughed. My damaged arm tingled achingly at the reminder of the miserable last twenty-four hours.

"Oh, I'm sure. Is it completely healed yet?" Emily asked, moving to unload a still working oven.

"No, vamp bites are one of the few things that heal fairly slow. I am just now over the worst of the reaction." I admitted, I stepped away from Paul and towards the table where everyone else was sitting.

Emily threw an amused glance but didn't say anything further. Embry gave me a reserved smile and scooted his large body as much as possible to give me room and I chuckled. "I can share table space, don't worry, I'm not terribly shy."

Paul let out a deep growl that stilled the room and my body froze in dread. Judging by the condition of Emily's face, I deduced that these shapeshifters did lose control at times. I couldn't take even one of these guys on in an honest fight. Nonetheless, my szőlő whispered across my skin and the tip of the dagger poised itself against my wrist. I calmed down, readying myself to run if need be. I certainly hadn't visited these guys' home to hurt one of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> lélek összetört - soul-shattered
> 
> szőlő - vines (the marks on Bella's arms)


	9. Strange Tides

**Paul's POV**

I wasn't prepared to see her invite someone closer to her when she had walked away from me. My wolf didn't understand it, although Paul Lahote the human did. I was being a flirtatious pervert who she didn't even know yet. Bella hadn't even walked away in a bitchy way. Rage at rejection was just so easy, too difficult to deny.

At the end of the day, the growl crept through my throat as a result of being Paul Lahote, the hothead of the pack. I hadn't put much work into rejecting that aspect of my personality before, never had a reason to. I lived alone and didn't have to deal with people that weren't pack. It occurred to me just then, that maybe it was time to put in more work because Bella, despite proving not being as fragile physically as everyone thought, looked frightened.

_She could fight, but she wasn't a fighter._

I knew it just then at that instant, with her normally flushed cheeks going pale and muscles tensing almost imperceptibly under all those damn clothes she always wore. Bella had seen more fights than us, and she hated them. That revelation alone made my fury purge itself from my body.

"Paul, if you can't handle it, then _get out_. You know the deal." Sam's voice was hard, his patience growing thin with such an asshole maneuver displayed in front of Emily.

The others stared at me with old, tired eyes.

"I know, sorry. Good now." I held my hands up in surrender and tried best to keep the shame out of my voice. I turned to Bella, showing my best genuine smile, "Sorry about that."

Her face eased and her thin, frail-looking body gave a relaxed shrug. "You should see me on full moons." She joked.

"What happens?" Jared asked. Jared's eyes, always laid-back and happy, skimmed over the girl. My sort of imprint was pretty in a quiet, haunting way with her long dark hair and eyes that always whispered secrets. She wore a plain gray T-shift and jean shorts that were a perfect length to showcase surprisingly sleek, muscled legs.

I recalled my first analogy describing her as a rabbit. It fit.

Bella gave a big grin and flexed her bandaged arms cutely. "I get pretty hormonal."

Emily laughed and so did everybody else. I just wanted to know what kind of hormones Cousin It was packing, either good or bad, it all sounded intriguing. Everything about the girl I hated all but a week ago was.

Bella stayed behind with Emily when we left for patrol. Sam wanted to take her along for research purposes, but Bella had gently told him that her strength was at about half for another few days and that she would just be a liability. I appreciated her honesty, and again wondered at her selfless practicality. None of the pack, including Sir Alpha, ever told the others when they weren't suitable for a job. All of the times that I had fallen asleep when I'd been alone on patrol paid testament to _that_.

Jake was already phasing back as the rest of us shot off to our routes and was excited in seeing Bella. The only bummer to his mood was that Sam had ordered him to give me and Bella space to explore our bond. Apparently the fellow Neanderthal couldn't share either, but _I_ had taken more initiative to at least try than he had. I was an interloper to his Bells, the inhumanly beautiful fantasy girl that didn't even resemble my imprint. He needed time to get over it, and a chance to understand that the fantasy did not exist.

I still felt like shit about it though because Jake's feelings were, for the most part, justified.

That hadn't stopped me from sneaking into the Black house and getting her number from Billy's phone book the day after I saw her eyes.

**Bella's POV**

Emily reminded me of Angela, which made me happy but sad at the same time. I had to stop being so depressed at school and reach out to her again. In my head, Angela was the human version of me and I'd been doing her a favor by not coming around. She had Ben, a living boyfriend and best friend rolled into one, and I was a depressed loser; It wasn't her job to be my pick-me-up.

The irony of that thought quickly showed itself when Jacob came into the room, a grumpy look on his face. It cleared when he saw Emily and me on the couch watching _Dateline_ and laughing.

"Hey Jake, what we gonna do today?"

Jacob grinned, "Whatever you want, Bells, I have the night off."

"Cliff diving." The activity had been on my bucket-list for a long time, and there was no one else I'd rather go with.

"There's no reason to do that now, is there?" Jake frowned.

It didn't take long to come up with an answer as I got up from the couch and stretched leisurely, "I think it'd be fun and I don't have to pretend to be klutzy anymore. Seeing you guys do it made me so jealous. I'm hardly breakable, Jake."

Jake's face clouded with worry and I knew he was probably wondering why my mental health had been so off. I hadn't been faking _that_. Waving bye to Emily who was still enthralled in the show, we made our way to my truck.

The drive was a quick and quiet one, and Jake kept glancing at me in concern. I took a deep, relaxing breath and really felt more at peace with myself than I had in a long time.

Hope did the strangest things, and it was distant hope that it could someday heal me into a person who isn't shattered and so terribly broken.

When we stopped at First Beach, it was an instant gratification to see it almost empty. Despite my new ability to not act in front of Jacob, I didn't need tales reaching Charlie's ears that I was jumping cliffs when I was supposed to be doing community service. He would be infuriated. We sprang out of the car and looked at the peaceful waves and water, and I bounded up and down on my heels in excitement.

"What about your bandages?"

I paused, considering them because they were the only reason I'd gotten to wear short sleeves today. The habit had been in practice ever since I'd moved to Forks, and it was a constant source of annoyance. I didn't know how people would react if they saw what laid beneath the fabric.

 _Maybe you can change._ A tiny voice, one that I wanted so much to be my own, whispered.

"Jake, would you lose your temper if I showed you?" My voice was small and hopeful, because freedom was really what I wanted. To be open with people about who I was.

"Show me what, sweetie?" His big hand swept my hair back in a non-platonic way, and I wondered at my stupidity in agreeing to try for him before all this madness happened. I needed a friend right now.

"Jake, I want you to see my arms for the first time, but you won't like it. I want to dive off that cliff as _myself_."

"They can't be that-"

"They will be bad to you, you'll hate them." I interrupted him strongly, "I need you to be okay with them, because to me they are marks of honor. To my people, they are marks of bravery. They are the best and worst parts of me, and not for a second will I ever regret them." My heart was pounding in my ears, so frightened by the flinch that my best friend would give.

Jake looked at me with such surprise and wariness in his eyes, it was like he was seeing me, truly _me_ for the first time. "Okay, Bella, but run if I get dangerous. I'll do my best."

His "Bella" and not "Bells" is what convinced me.

I undid those silly bandages I no longer needed with my back turned to him. And then I turned around at my fastest speed, wanting to rid this world of my shame that just wasn't there.

And Jacob collapsed to his knees while shaking uncontrollably, and whispered "Oh Bells, sweetie, no." His broken voice destroyed me on the inside and my confidence in his ability to truly see me as a woman and not a cute, delicate, poor toy was pulverized in that instant.

My rage overcame me and I screamed, and punched him in the face with all of my might. Jake landed several meters away, still shaking and looking at me with rapid, horror-filled, piteous eyes. " _Get the hell out of here_ , Jacob! Th-this coddling won't help me anymore! I'm p-proud of these." My scream turned into a sob at the end.

The tears didn't fall and I spat on the ground in front of the shaking boy while wiping my suddenly running nose. Rage escaped me and suddenly we were still on First Beach, the birds still chirping. But everything had changed slightly, shifting in ways that were difficult to identify.

I turned my back on Jacob, who was starting to grow fur in the strong emotions that weren't his to have. "Jacob, I'll speak with you later at Emily's house tomorrow, get out before someone sees you. I still need to dive off this cliff."

The sounds of him scampering off were distant as I took my shirt off to reveal the beautiful tank top I had always wanted to show off. I would need dry clothes for the ride home. My shorts went too and I thanked God that my cotton underwear was black.

I wanted these wolves to know me, really know me, my scars, my precious _szőlő_ , and all. Hiding was over. I was weak in strange ways, strong in others, my soul was battered and bruised and had felt such love that the ground had swallowed me whole and crushed me till there was almost nothing left. I was a honorless coward who hid behind others once, and I was here now to live how I always wanted.

Something wild inside me called me here. I didn't know what quite yet.

I sprinted at human speed towards the edge of the cliff and dove how I always dreamed I could. The cool air kissed my cheeks and the plummeting feeling made my stomach clench in pure joy. I sailed through the air, and my szőlő let their presence thrum throughout. The hit to the water felt as though I was being born anew.

I swam to the shore in confident strokes and stood quickly to retrieve my clothes.

But someone stood proudly on top of them with his foot, and his eyes drank me up slowly. "You, I must admit, are the most gorgeous Cousin It I have ever seen, rabbit. Those marks might be a little gnarly out of context, and you might be a little too skinny for my tastes, but still you're so gorgeous."

"Well, I'm giving quite a show and I'm sure people will get here soon. Maybe they'll agree with you." I found myself saying the dare.

The man laughed and his eyes still took his time finding mine and I found myself reacting to the sound with a strange hunger. I wanted to hear it again. "I can take my clothes off too and we can give them a really good show, my fantastic ass will distract all the others."

"Well, I saw that ass and would have to solemnly agree. Everyone would be _distracted_." I tried to make the word distracted into an insult.

Paul merely smiled at that remark sweetly. That odd reaction knocked itself into hyperdrive and I focused on not allowing a blush to accumulate. I needed a win for once. I leaned forward and bent completely to retrieve my clothes.

His jaw dropped and any pressure he had applied to pinning the items diminished. I slipped everything on efficiently and bowed elaborately. It was nice to feel this way.

I smiled at him and jangled my keys teasingly. "I would love to stay and put on that show, but Charlie needs me to cook some dinner."

Paul stretched in an almost feline pose casually, "I think a one-man show will definitely lock this whole beach down, rabbit. No need to worry."

I blinked, there it was again, that odd nickname. The option to ignore was selected when Paul approached me in a slow prowl, a playful glint hinting at mischief in his eyes.

"You know, rabbit." He said casually, seeming to inspect his mitt of a hand for dirt, "us Protectors hear each others' thoughts in wolf form. That's how come I knew where your clothes were at."

I froze. _Crap._ While I was still angry at Jacob, everyone knowing about me screeching at him was more than a little embarrassing.

"It's also why I didn't look at those scars and that odd almost half-body tattoo you have twice. Little preemptive warning. Black was a mess, worrying about you, thinking you were nuts because of what you said. For a fraction of a second, I was a mess too. And I must admit, I found those words insane too."

Nerves once again shot through me and this time I couldn't quite pinpoint _why_ his words were making me feel this way. Why should I care what he thinks about me?

Paul took an even closer step to me. "And I also found what you said to be pretty damn strong too. And you're right, those scars are signs that you are still here, and whatever you were fighting for was worth it. And to me, rabbit, that's both a turn-on and a sign to never piss you off.

Strong arms enveloped around me and held me tight for a few seconds. Then, Paul sauntered off towards the forest, his steps languid and sure.

"By the way, I'm calling you later. You're welcome."

He didn't look back while I wondered how in the world he had gotten my number.


	10. Why the Cullens

**Paul's POV**

Never before had I hated homework this much. I was stuck on the last problem on my Calc 3 assignment and it pissed me endlessly off. Why would that make me angry? Well, unfortunately I couldn't call Bella Swan until I had all of my homework done for the week. A man has to set a schedule and be rigorous, damn it, and I just will not budge on this. I personally blamed the curvy-ass number 5 on that problem. It brought to mind a curvy, wet body I had spotted a couple days ago. Her hair sleeked down her pale shoulders and over the red tank top that brought out the color of those plump lips, her gorgeous tattoos trailing down her arms and highlighting the gorgeous skin where her tank top had crept up like a brave scout. I salute you.

Distracted didn't even begin to describe me as Sam let me return to school as we were for sure down one leech. I couldn't listen in class without tapping my foot spastically and almost making an audible sound to the weak human ear. That didn't sound like _much_ , but it meant I was really out of sorts. My favorite classmate, Cameron, shot me a weird look so it definitely wasn't just my imagination. The only good thing to come out of the last few days is that I caught up quickly and my grades didn't seem in jeopardy.

The pack mind was a war-zone right now, or I should say Black was infuriated at me and her. I hadn't leaked our conversation at First Beach or my plan to call her, but the rightful alpha seemed to almost sense it. He was mad at Bella for not admitting that she was hurting for the marks on her arms and that _she_ needed _him_. Which indefinitely pissed me off because it was obvious Bella wanted to be strong and was taking steps to be more independent. Any sympathy I had previously possessed for Jake was now eradicated. He was, incredibly enough, angry at _me_ for not being more worried for the rabbit.

I had made my mind up. I liked her and I was going to keep her. If she'd have me.

The last problem solved of the homework - I always make sure to finish before going back to the noisy pack - I stood up in the library and stretched. Due to my vow of not seeing Bella until school was sorted out, I was speeding deliberately through each assignment and hoping nobody noticed the dust in my tracks. The drive back to LaPush with the satisfyingly light homework load in my backpack soothed my frayed nerves, and Bella would probably be over at Emily's, playing with the pack. She'd announced that her strength was probably back up enough to show us all the tricks she knew about vamps soon.

The fighter in me was eager to learn.

I walked into Emily's house, backpack thrown over my shoulder, and immediately noticed the flowing laughter coming from the kitchen. Laughter I recognized from Emily, Jared, and Bella which created a relief in my bones that I always experience after leaving LaPush for any amount of time. My family was safe.

 _Baby, **run**! _A million nightmares danced in my head and sweltered out into the open, but the others didn't notice. They never did.

Shaking off the shadow of a memory, it took considerable effort to plaster a cocky grin on my lips. "What's up, nerds?" I rhetorically asked as I plopped my bag down onto the counter and automatically began pulling textbooks out.

"You seem to be the nerdiest of nerds, Paul." Bella laughed, "I don't think I've seen books that big before."

I cocked an eyebrow at her and grinned, "Sorry sweetie, I promise to be gentle."

Bella rolled her eyes and seemed immune to the innuendos at this point. Emily and Jared groaned synchronously. "Spirits, Paul, you'll never get her at this point." Jared grounded out lightheartedly. I shot a warning glare at him.

Bella blushed, and she absently fiddled with her hands. Her hair seemed better kept than usual, and her gorgeous arms were on a proud display in front of the others. She still wrapped them before going home, but other than that she seemed to be taking the freedom to wear T-shirts around the pack for granted.

"So what were y'all chuckling about before I graced you with my presence?"

Jared ground out a big laugh and didn't seem to be in control of himself. "Jacob and Bells fought yesterday and Jake left her flowers here this morning."

I frowned. "How's that funny?" If anything, it was more appropriate than anything _I_ would do after having a disagreement with someone.

"It was daisies. I actually have a slight allergic reaction to them." Bella confessed, and then she stood up, heading towards a vase on the counter. She grabbed a flower and headed towards me. "Watch carefully." She demanded.

I did. Bella pressed the head of the bloom against an untatted portion of her arm and a brilliant rash instantaneously bloomed on her skin. For as long as the bloom was on there. She moved the offender off and then her arm healed almost instantaneously.

"That was pretty cool. Does Jake not know?" There was no way he could.

A chuckle. "Nah, I'll show him later as a peace treaty. It's just funny that out of all flowers it was that one. It's a fun demonstration, used to crack my cousins up when we were younger. It seems to come from the human side Charlie gave me."

Curiosity at her life before Forks piqued, but I knew that it was as much as she could tell us without crossing the boundaries that had been established. I hoped that the silly happenstance would make Jacob lighten up and see that Bella was really happy. It was what my imprint wanted, so I couldn't help but want the same. It sucked cause my own desire was secretly to throttle Jake in an epic showdown.

 _There hadn't been a real fight in so long._ Maybe my imprint would play fight with me, but I quickly canceled the idea. I had to take her on a date first and convince her to get to know me. Hopefully like me. My wolf, just as arrogant as myself, scoffed at the idea of rejection.

"Paul?" A pale, white hand touched my own and burned electricity through me in its intensity. Damn, but I could only imagine what she could do to me on purpose.

"Yes, rabbit?"

Bella blinked once at her nickname but her big browns peered trustingly into my own. "I'm gonna give Sam a rundown on vamps, could you stay here for that?"

Excitement coursed through my veins. More time with my mate and leech killing advice? It was like a birthday cake with a hooker inside of it, a nasty immature dream I had once aspired to. Bella seemed to notice my perking up and giggled. "Sure."

I sat down and started a rough draft on a paper while Bella continued in her bafoonry with Emily and Jared. They giggled together like little school girls as Jared described a prank a lone Quil was pulling on a guy at school. Seems as though the guy was finding ways to occupy himself without Dumb and Dumber around. I shuddered when I thought about how much productivity the pack would lose when _that_ trio was united. Not being alpha was a blessing.

Forty-five minutes later, a long howl let us know that Jared was due for his shift. He wandered out, and five minutes later a haggard Sam meandered in. I suddenly felt guilty for the homework in my hand, but a shake of his head at my frown negated that. I knew that if the other guys wanted to take their homework seriously, Sam would gladly never take a break from patrolling.

I hated my need for the handout from the selfless fuck. I would have to pay him back someday.

"Sam, how's it going?" Bella had stood from the table respectfully, reminding me of stuff I had seen soldiers do on TV when a commanding officer walked into the room.

My alpha smiled at the girl, "Bella, what's got you all excited?"

The rabbit blushed and looked down at her black tennis shoes. "I've been looking at the situation that Forks and LaPush are in and want to help."

"Help physically or in what other way?"

"A-a little of both. I'm not as fast or as strong as you guys, but I can be an asset if placed properly. Only once you're comfortable with that, of course. You shouldn't place a potential enemy at your back. Information and strategy is what I suggest you consider from me regardless whether trust is an issue." The emotions flashing across Bella's face as she shyly murmured through her position were a combination of fear, sadness, and determination.

Sam smiled genuinely at her, "Sure, Bells, I'm all ears. We could use any help we could get."

"The redheaded vampire you're tracking has a gift at not getting caught."

"What?"

"Well, remember my ability of getting people to not notice me whenever I feel I'm in danger?"

Sam nodded slowly. "Vampires can have special abilities too?"

"Yes, the redhead calls herself Victoria and she has a feud with the Cullens for killing her mate, James. It was a very ... dangerous and annoying event. I was around for it." Bella grimaced, and it was easy to tell she hated talking about it.

"I have to ask, why the Cullens, Bella? I'd been meaning to ask you that the other night, but we were all so tired." My alpha voiced everything I and the pack had been wondering about.

The girl leaned on me, and my arms automatically went around her without a pause. She needed me too. Maybe this is why she asked me to be here for this.

"Well, this is all tied into the feud, so I guess it's good you asked. To put it off shortly, my mother's kind smell really, insanely good to vamps. It causes vamps to almost instantaneously lose it in bloodlust if given enough proximity. We are like a drug to them so to speak. Where I'm from, it's considered both a gift and a curse..." Bella's voice fell off for a second and picked back up, "As a half-breed, it naturally leans on the curse side. I am not quite as fast or strong as my family is, and so I've always been trained and coddled to the max by everyone but Renee. There are vampires who specifically go after half-breeds at times, but my abilities far outpace the majority of those like me." A blush hit her cheeks, and it was was easy to see that she was debating how much to say. "Unfortunately, at home, I was dishonored to live a protected life because of my lineage. An inherited dishonor I always yearned to overcome with hard work and skill." Bella's fingers ghosted over the more heavily scarred wrist.

Bella stuck her chin up and showed that bitch I love. I knew neither me or Sam could tear our eyes away. "I was tired of being treated like I was a child and only being brought to fight when only the real children were at risk..." A wild grief flowed over her features and my wolf cried out in a whimper in response to her pain. "Fights have never been something I desired or sought, but not being allowed to fight when others I loved did? I proved myself times over through the few fights I was allotted and luckily, Renee agreed that my talent was at waste due to politics."

"But even _my mother's_ opinion isn't the ultimate authority at home, so I told Renee I wished to leave and to live with Charlie permanently if it was possible. An escort was never necessary when I visited him in Forks, and humans age and die so quickly - I wanted to get real time with my father and to not worry about any more of my loved ones dying without me being allowed to do the same. It was an ideal alternative to being allowed full rights, and Renee supported me. It was only then that the Cullens became involved."

Humans die so _quickly_? How long was my mate's lifespan? It was so much, too much information to absorb about my imprint. Sam looked as shocked at I _felt_ , and Bella's words, tight and controlled, flowed over us methodically.

"Esme Cullen has ties to one of my family members. She is the great-great granddaughter of him, and she obviously didn't have enough of the blood to gain immunity to vamp venom. This tie may seem weak, but it was actually enough to where Esme knew of us and my family member kept in communication with her. It made the Cullens a resource, a single friendly tie to vamps. The blood drug we seem to bring to the table doesn't affect Esme, which helps ... helped immensely in the arrangement. My blood scent is actually my weakest trait inherited by my mother's people, and so the Cullens just found me to be a particularly tasty human." Bella paused, the fear creeping into her voice.

"Renee asked the Cullens to help keep Forks clear of other vamps and to protect me, essentially. Renee didn't really mean it in a strict sense, but it kept those... in charge satisfied that I would be safe. I didn't care as long as I was no longer living on spilled blood and could be looked upon as an equal. Unfortunately, as you can see, the agreement didn't really hold up." The fear was still in there, a quivering note that was almost imperceptible.

Sam was more curious. "Did the Cullens locate to Forks for you, Bella?"

Bella bit her lip and shook her head, "It was like it was fate, they were already at Forks for a couple of years before we asked them. From my understanding, it was a lucky coincidence." A faraway look in her eyes. "I thought they'd just keep their distance after declaring my blood safe, that they'd just do as Renee suggested and just stick around till I graduated high school. A coven that large just has to be in the same 50 miles to steer rogues away. No contact or patrols were needed. But of course _he_ just couldn't let it be."

She was still omitting details, more than one. I growled, "Who?"

She flinched and turned into the wimpy Bells in Jake's wet dreams. "Edward."


	11. Obsession

"For the longest time, I just thought he was being considerate. I have some phobias about vampires because I'd never met ones not trying to kill me before the Cullens, but Edward always seemed determined to make up for it. He had some of the same classes with me, and made it a point to sit near me and make me comfortable. It was puzzling and alarming to me." Bella admitted, a flush staining her cheeks when she tried to look me in the eyes and failed, "But I had never been away from my family and here were people who knew the inhuman side of me that's so difficult to keep hidden. A potential outlet was impossible to reject." She gave us a baleful smile, seeming to acknowledge that it was a similar draw that was coming from the Pack.

The smile darkened. "I grew to like the Cullens soon after that due to Edward's efforts. I even went to their house a few times. It was scary as hell to have so many of them near me at once, but I could practice my fighting with Jasper, play video games with Emmett, and Alice reminded me so much of a friend I had lost... That fondness I held for them turned out to backfire when I realized that Edward Cullen wanted much, much more. Something I simply couldn't give to him."

A growl ripped through my chest at the implications and physically rattled the girl in my arms. Isabella Swan, not seeming phased, swatted at me and lifted a dark eyebrow coolly. "Are you going to let me finish, Paul?"

I rubbed the back of my head and shrugged. "Sorry this isn't easy." I muttered.

"You think this is easy for me either?" She retorted incredulously before turning back to face Uley. "Rogues showed up in town, despite the Cullens' presence a couple months after I arrived and Edward finally had a legitimate excuse to be near me. As the only Cullen kid without an obvious significant other, him being my boyfriend in the town of Forks was something the family agreed on full heartedly to fulfill their promise to my mother." Bella's voice cracked suddenly, "It was as though I was trapped again, though I felt no desire to protect the Cullens as I did my family." I ran my thumb soothingly over the back of her hand, my emotions stunted from the calm that the imprint demanded.

"Edward religiously stalked me in the name of security for some time. Sleeping with a vamp's eyes on me was what finally broke me... I decided to run away as soon as the chance presented itself. Charlie would be safer without my blood scent saturating his place of rest and I would rid myself entirely of the constant watch I'd been under for my entire life. Fighting rogues would make me feel alive again. Death probably would've been welcome as well."

My eyes narrowed down as I looked down at Bella's brunette head. There was no way a lack of sleep, a creepy leech that couldn't take a hint, homesickness and being overly supervised would make my mate consider suicide. What had happened to her before Forks? What had she lost? She had literally imposed an exile from her people onto herself to escape it.

Bella gracefully stepped out of my trembling arms before turning on us. "I fled to Florida, trying to avoid capture from the Cullens whilst hoping the opposite from the rogues. There were three vamps, a small coven with red eyes. The leader, James, was an extremely gifted tracker and his mate Victoria is the one skirting your patrols today. Laurent, the one that died a few days ago, was the weakest and sanest of the lot. They found me a day and half after I flew the nest. It was all I could to do to last five minutes, and James had just snapped my leg when the Cullens rolled in. To make a long story short, James was burned, Laurent surrendered peacefully, and Victoria escaped."

Sam frowned, "Why is she here now?"

"She wants revenge for her mate. Stupid Edward's possessive behavior makes her view me as prey. A mate for a mate is how she views it."

"Your luck fucking sucks, babe." I couldn't keep my mouth shut anymore.

Bella let go of her husky laugh for a few seconds. "You don't know the half of this soap opera." The self-deprecating jab at herself was charming, I decided. She switched back to soldier stance again. "Sam, that's the intel I have for you. The redhead wants me, she has a gift for escaping, and she's seriously crazy."

"This should help us quite a bit, thanks Bella." Sam was already deep in thought.

"I won't get involved on your territory unless you have something in mind. But now that I am healed, I will go after her in other places if that's what it comes down to. I'm what she wants and I'm going to set this right." The rabbit's plump lips were set in determination.

Not even my imprint's strong desire to be autonomous could stifle my growl at the idea. I did keep my human mouth shut successfully however. She had chosen death over being stifled once. I was protective but not stupid.

Bella's eyes flew to mine, and the silence that ensued was deafening. We both stood in our silent staring match until Sam cleared his throat. "I don't think that would be necessary. We are certainly not in a position to deny help, and I can definitely think up some positions for you."

A huge grin split her face and she left my side to enthusiastically hug Sam. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I promise you won't regret this!" She shook the huge man with nearly every word.

Sam grunted from the impact and laughed good-humoredly while ruffling her hair. "Well, it'd be nice to get a nap before the next shift. Paul, you'll be up next."

I was already moving back to my paper. "Yeah, yeah, I hear you, old man." The clock was ticking.

**Bella's POV**

_Why won't the stupid nudist **call** me? _I couldn't get that stupid thought out of my head for the last week. I saw Paul every day after school for "community service", but it wasn't enough. It was just too odd, how much I wanted to see that cranky, hot guy. To be near him but surrounded by his pack brothers was frustrating. It shouldn't be possible. I knew that, but I hadn't felt like this for anyone since _him._

I shouldn't be able to feel anything remotely like this ever again.

"Earth to Bella?" A hand wove in front of my face, "You there?"

I blinked, glanced up, and then tried not to stifle a groan. Mike. Newton. Of course, as soon as I reconnected with my human friends in Forks, Mike's "Bella Train" had to renew itself. I already had one terrifying female trying to kill me; Jessica Stanley did not have to be the next in line.

"I think I'm here." Five minutes till seventh bell ring, it was easy enough to countdown.

Mike smiled at me, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "So Bella, ya working Friday night?"

I went over the schedule in my head, knowing that lying would be pointless since his family owned the store. "No, I don't think so."

"You want to go out to eat and catch a movie or something? We were kind of interrupted a couple of weeks ago."

The night Jake had saved me from this persistent beast, yes I do recall. I tried to look remorseful. "Actually Mike, I'm kinda grounded for the next month..."

"What for? Bella, the _good girl_ , finally going bad?"

 _I like my flirting a little more crude than that._ Thoughts rushed in, unbidden, of Paul's disgusting tactics that were so funny to me. My cheeks burned and a nonchalant shrug was all that could be mustered. The bell rang and I waved at Mike without turning around.

I stopped by the house, planning on grabbing a beautiful tank top I had been eyeing the last couple days before heading to the Rez. As I rummaged through my drawers, it finally happened. The house phone rang.

I picked the phone slowly up, mentally preparing to not hear his voice. Disappointment was starting to get old, and Charlie kept looking amused whenever I raced down the stairs.

"Hey rabbit."

"Nudist."

A deep rumple of laughter. "Nudist? All you saw were my asscheeks, rabbit. I should show you more than that sometime if we want that nickname to be accurate."

Heat crept up my neck and a shiver went down my spine. "I'd like to keep my eyesight, thanks."

A pause of silence on the phone, but somehow I knew he was holding back another laugh. "So I called you because we are always surrounded by imbeciles. Are you free Friday night?"

It sucked to say it this time. "I'm grounded."

"Don't act like you can't sneak out a window, I've got a late date planned. It'll be fun, promise."

The eager huskiness in his voice made me uncertain. "Who said anything about a date? And if it was, why is it a late date for the first one? I'm not like _that_." I told him uncertainly.

"You most definitely are not like that." Honest surprise was in his voice. "This excursion is totally innocent and fun, I swear on Sir Alpha's life. And we don't have to call it a date either."

I giggled at the thought of Sam in armor and riding a horse. It suited him. I softened.

"Alrighty, bust me out on Friday." Maybe I wasn't such a good girl after all.

The Wildlands Correctional Facility was Hell on Earth. Inmates damned by the judge to this place never left. For John Lahote, a day never passed where he wished he could see the beautiful forests of LaPush again. He missed the unnaturally tall pines, the scent of dirt and dew, and the peace most of all. He did not, however, miss his traitorous tribe, the very reason he was in this hellhole in the first place.

John was moping about this on the tenth anniversary of his sentence when something unexpected occurred.

"Lahote, there's a woman here to see you."

He blinked at the guard. " _What_?"

He hadn't seen a woman in a long time. The last one he'd seen was his mother, who'd visited him to tell him that she was disowning him. Just like her tribe, a traitorous bitch. Probably died holding his little bastard son's hand.

John walked heavily escorted to the visitation area. His curiosity was heightened when he saw his mysterious visitor's appearance. The woman was unworldly and gorgeous, catlike, and had flaming red hair that cascaded down her back dramatically. She smiled at the grimy sight of him, revealing pearly white teeth.

"Hello, John. I cannot possibly express how happy I am to meet you."

The chill down John's back was easy for him to ignore.


	12. Practice

"You sure you're ready for this, Bells?".

I tried to keep the irritation off my face as my imprint was needlessly coddled by Black. The rabbit stood poised in the center of the clearing we had chosen as the location for our first lesson. She was wearing a gray, simple, loose top and shorts that showcased surprisingly spry muscle supported by her willowy frame. The only aspect that broke mode were again her truly muscular legs, hence my nickname for her.

Bella cocked an eyebrow imperiously at Jake, a hand severely held on her hip. "We discussed this Jake, I want to do this. You can't stop me and you'll just have to accept it, you giant oaf." The insult was thrown playfully, and Black seemed to calm at it.

He was starting to finally get the real rabbit, sort of. It made my imprint happy. It made me...neutral. The kid was a slow learner, that was for certain. Bella's smile made my heart flutter like a little bitch, despite my struggle in forgiving Jake. Oh well.

"I need a mock vamp!" Bella called out, and a wicked grin split her face a second later, "Jakey-poo, I know just the job for _you_!"

Jacob jumped lithely to his feet and stalked to the rabbit, seeming to find the new tone acceptable. "I'm here." He towered over her, and it make me realize just how small she was.

Why did the Spirits give me a shrimp?

We were in a long, spread-out circle around the clearing, all in various poses of rest. Jared had excitement pouring out of him and was having trouble keeping still, Em was calmly watching Jake with hopeful eyes, and Sir Alpha was extremely focused on the rabbit. He'd always desired some guidance on keeping us all safe, not just the Council's theories or stories.

Bella's grin left her face, and an expression I'd never seen crossed it. It was perfectly serene and balanced, like the world was as it should be. Her voice rang out, loud and precise. "So I can tell you how to fight a vamp from my perspective, which is a lot different from yours. I am not as fast, but I do not have to worry about venom. I'm not four-legged or hunting with a pack. But I do know how they think."

As quick as a flash, Bella's hand flashed and Jake jumped back, barely dodging the dagger that emerged from her skin. Her hand hung in the air, the dagger glittering under the sun. Well, that was something I'd have to look out for in the future. Bella glanced back at Embry. "Would a vampire react how Jake did?"

"No?" Embry guessed hesitantly while eyeing the dagger, "they'd grab your hand and crush it. They're so used to their strength." His hand brushed his thigh and all us wolves flinched recalling _that_ particular incident.

"Correct. That's one thing that all of you have to be cognizant of, whenever you lunge at a vampire and miss, you have to be quick to get out. There's a common technique where my kind purposely baits with our blood and limbs since venom is survivable, but that's not an option for you guys." The dagger danced in Bella's deceivingly dainty hands as she spoke. It went so fast my eyes could hardly track it. _Balls, she better not use that on me._

Jake's eyes stared at the peculiar talent, and it was clear to see he wasn't quite ready. His jaw was set tight.

"Alright, Jake, time to be a wolf. I want to see if there's a way to work on your maneuverability in the air when you lunge and also on an emergency turn." It was a good assessment of our weak points.

Bella turned her back politely and the born alpha obeyed. Even as young as he was, Black was quickly catching up with Sam in terms of bulk in wolf form. I could tell that Bella was not used to such a huge being near her. She hid the discomfort expertly.

"Jake?"

The wolf cocked his head at her politely.

The dagger had disappeared and Bella reached behind her back and pulled slowly with her untatted arm, revealing a large broadsword. It looked heavy. My mouth dropped in surprise. Holy shit, what was the rabbit packing? If I ever lived to see it, would there be a bazooka in her shorts?

"Can I fight you with this?" She asked Jake, allowing him to inspect the sword with his nose.

He snorted and nodded his enormous head once.

"Alright then." She paced away from him to a great distance, and then turned around in a prepared stance, sword held parallel to the ground. "Come at me."

Jake was a deadly streak, his intent to overwhelm her with size, speed, and Spirits know what else we had on her. Bella held her ground and Jake shot up in the air, meaning to come down on top of her much like we would a leech. It was with surprise that Bella leapt to meet our furry brother in midair. She was close to his open jaw and paws but dodged them with a versatility that we lacked in the air. She touched his vulnerable neck with that dainty hand and snatched fur. The wild girl then swung onto his neck when they landed in a cloud of dust.

The broadsword was held at his neck. "Guys, wanna know the sole reason why a vamp hasn't gotten any of you yet?" Bella's voice whipped out breathlessly and hoarsely. It was scared as if she was imagining that this was a vamp with its fangs at Jake's throat, and not her sword. "Pack hunting. A move like that would be too ballsy with even two of you. Someone could have gotten the back of me."

She dismounted the dazed Jake wolf gracefully and dusted herself off distractedly.

Sam cleared his throat. "Is it individual work we need to work on then?"

Bella's sword seemed to sink into her palm and the tatts moved in a sinuous fashion across her alabaster skin. "Yeah, honestly that's the only area where I think I could help you guys improve. Wolves are pack hunters, take that away and the risks start to pile."

For the rest of the afternoon, we watched Bella use Jake as a test wolf for the moves she wanted us to try out. The strategy was to become conservative if faced with a vampire alone, rather than to follow the instinct of an all-out attack that would be aided by brothers. It made sense.

When alone, stay alive and wait for your brothers to get there. When not alone, rip the abomination against nature to pieces.

The moves were hypnotic to me, and it was difficult not to daydream on how to improve them. To tweak them into a happier medium between defense and attack. The fighter in me thoroughly enjoyed the simulation and the wolf practically purred at the thought of a mate with such battle know-how.

It didn't take long for Jake to improve to the point with Bella to where she got knocked hard into a nearby oak. Her body loosened before the impact, and she rolled down expertly. It didn't prevent the hard snap of the wood, nor the tree obtaining a rabbit-sized dent.

A fierce growl ripped through and I was instantaneously shredding through my clothes and I was on top of the motherfucker. I tore into his flesh, uncaring as long as he hurt. I let go, searching for a neck, and then sunk in again. I shook him, hoping to overwhelm him so I could _kill_ faster.

Black yelped pathetically and didn't even try to fight back. My brothers piled on top, attempting to end the seriously weird homicidal-suicidal fuck-up that was occurring.

It took five minutes for them to pull me off only because of the groan I heard. She needed me.

I sprinted to her.

The rabbit had a welt on her head and was leaning against the tree half-hazardly. She was also glaring at me fiercely.

I whimpered. What could I of possibly done to deserve this treatment?

"I'm fine, Paul. The bump is already going away. Leave Jake alone." She was annoyed and mild in her demeanor, but I could tell that she was holding back the lecture of a century.

I laid down at her feet like the whipped bitch I was and practice was officially over for the day. It took my girl approximately fifteen minutes before she started petting the back of my head. Jake limped off to the woods, and I could hear the remorse in his head.

 _Fuck you, Black. Get lost._ I made the threat crystal clear in my head and Jake plowed through the woods and phased back. Good.

The others seemed to realize that it was time to get back to work, and I just let my mind relax as our paths were combed meticulously for new leech scent. It had been a few days of peace, which made us all paranoid and on edge.

_You gonna cover night shift, Paul?_

_Yeah, tomorrow night I'm busy so don't expect me._

I felt Sam's assent and I padded behind the tree, shifting and changing into cutoffs. Bella gave me a small smile and still leaned against the tree.

"You really alright?"

My imprint growled, "Yeah Paul, that was hardly a hit." She was very aggravated with me. _Uh oh._

"I guess I was kind of a jackass. Sorry."

"Apologize to Jake, he didn't mean to and it's because I put him in that position. I hated watching you hurt my best friend!" Bella's dainty face snarled in fury at me, and my wolf whimpered.

The man, however, wasn't backing down, not on this. "He should've known better, Bella! Even if it'd been another wolf, this is a mock fight, you can't tell me this," I jerked my hand to the tree, "didn't hurt."

"Why does it matter to you? How do I matter? I don't know you yet!" Her eyes locked with mine fiercely.

Well shit. I felt unprepared, unbalanced as the little spitfire stood up from her position and got really close. I could swear even her tats were weaving in an irritated manner, like a feline whose tail was thrashing.

Charmer that I am, the sappy truth spilled out of my mouth. "I... like you, I like you a lot, whether you're a friend or something else, I don't really know yet. But you matter. Like really do, more than even my pack brothers. I already feel like you're my best friend." I admitted. Heat creep up my neck.

Bella's mouth opened with a pop, and she stared at me disbelievingly. "I... don't know what to say. I can somehow tell you're not lying." She stared at the ground profusely.

"No shit."

"Watch your mouth." Bella reprimanded distractedly while she glanced up at me. "But I must admit there's something about you that I don't understand. Like at all."

A grin crept up. "Let's figure it out then, sweetie."

"When?"

"Did you forget about our plans tomorrow night?" I lifted Bella's chin with my finger and bared my teeth in a feral show.

I couldn't keep the excitement out of my voice. The idea of her purposely spending time with me was a dream. My wolf would finally rest since I'd seen those gorgeous honey eyes. Imprinting, whether partial or full, took its toll.


	13. Date

I fiddled with myself needlessly at 1 AM in front of my full length mirror. I didn't know where we were going but Paul had assured me that nobody from Forks would see us, so sleeves weren't required. Eyeing the beautiful flowing loose tank I was wearing along with the black mini-skirt, it wasn't hard to be happy. My tank pulled at the edges of my tummy like it commonly would at home, where my people loved to display their _sźolo_ loud and proud.

My hair was swept into a high ponytail that I had always avoided due to not wanting to have so many eyes, human eyes, plastered to my face. The strands of hairs that I had never been able to tame slipped out and framed my face. I was pale, too pale for my Arizona homeland. I looked strangely soft. It was bizarre when compared to all of the years of hard physical labor that had strained every corner of my life just two years prior. But it was just how the odd blood in me seemed to present itself. The human girl side of my nature seemed to hope Paul would like what he saw.

I didn't know what had driven me to say yes to the guy who stirred feelings that should not have been possible. It was startling. Every cell in my body begged me _not_ to stop, to beckon forward the vitality that was suddenly flowing through them once more. It was agony.

I prayed Charlie wouldn't wake up when I made my grand escape, but it was a silly thought. I could jump out of a window and land pretty softly, even compared to a vamp. Now, if Renee was the present parent at the moment... I shuddered in revulsion at the punishment I would received if I tried to sneak out with that woman around.

"Bella." Paul, tall and refreshingly handsome, appeared at the edge of the woods. I flipped the light of my room off and quickly ran to him.

"Present." I breathed, and Paul smirked as he took in my outfit.

"That's a lot of skin, Swan."

"You're normally half-naked, nudist."

Paul took my hand and led me to an ancient, old-timey Jeep at the end of the block. It was a little nicer than the usual for the Rez. He swung a creaky door open and bowed gallantly. "My lady."

 _What a nerd._ I bowed to him mockingly and slid into the passenger, my heart embarrassingly pounding at the thought of being in such close proximity with Paul. It was even worse because I knew both of us could hear it.

We took off from the scarce lights and almost permanent fog of Forks and I couldn't help but feel exuberance at actually leaving this prison I chose over another for even a short period of time. Paul was wide awake despite the hour and looked like he was in an extremely good mood. He handled the car with one hand and had his muscular arm over my headrest. The warmth sank into my cool flesh and burned whatever common sense left inside of me; I needed a distraction.

"Now that we are finally on our way, can you tell me what this mysterious location we are going to is?" I asked.

His permanent smirk grew in smugness and I thought about leaping out of the car just to give him a scare. My hand itched for the door handle.

"You're gonna love it, or at least I hope you will cause I do. My buddy lent me the keys so we could get inside." He didn't sound pissed off for once.

"That's literally the vaguest response ever." I complained, "I hate surprises, the anticipation sucks."

Paul snickered. "I don't even know what you are, Cousin It, so don't complain to me about being vague."

That shut me up. He had me there.

It ended up being the shadiest, nastiest part of Port Angeles. The buildings were old, decrepit, and reminded me of some areas of Phoenix that Renee would take me to when she was looking for someone selling material that we needed. It was typically illegal, by human standards, material.

Paul was practically bouncing up and down with excitement and once again I felt odd delight at the innocence of it. Jake was always innocent and sweet, but Paul's happiness was a fine blade through my chest because I could tell it was rare for him. It made me so happy that it hurt.

We headed towards an unlit building. "You trying to kill me, werewolf? Maybe I should've told Jake about this whole excursion." I teased, but I kind of meant it.

Paul chuckled while he took a rusty key out and unlocked the side door. "Don't worry rabbit, if I wanted to kidnap you, we would already be in Montana."

"Why _Montana_?"

"It's gorgeous out there and we could live in a little cabin in the woods. I could chase all the deer my heart desired."

I laughed at the unexpected daydream. "What would I do all day?"

"Cook. You're a woman, aren't you?"

I punched Paul in the arm. Hard.

"Fuck! That hurt!" Paul rubbed his arm slowly and glared at me while the door swung open.

Too curious, I wandered into the building and the lights flickered on to reveal a very large room. And I squealed in utter delight. "PAUL! This is SO cool!" I thoughtlessly flung my arms around his broad middle and pulled him close. He smelled like a combination of woods and Old Spice. The deodorant was light, like he knew my nose gets overwhelmed by the amount human males cake onto themselves.

Paul rested his head on mine for a moment and rubbed a comforting circle around my back which helped with how shy I was in his arms. He then let me go. How did he know to do that?

"Why bowling though? How did you even know I love to bowl? Why are we the only ones here?!"

Paul laughed largely. "I had no clue you liked to bowl, but I love to, so I figured you would as well. Also, I worked here for quite a bit, my grandma owned it till she died. The guy she handed it down to gives me pretty good access."

 _I would love it because he does? That makes absolutely no sense._ I stored the odd statement in my mental list about Paul. The whole "imprint" thing still hadn't been cleared up by any of the pack. In all honesty, I didn't want to know; the sinking despair I felt warned me away from it. Like a smart bug in front of a bug zapper.

The excitement of bowling, the one human sport I had never been denied, pulled me from my revelry. Paul grabbed two pairs of shoes and powered up the lanes while he shuffled around in the back-room. He then peaked his head over the counter.

"What CD you want playing?"

I thought hard for a moment. "Have any David Bowie?"

His white teeth blinded against his gorgeous skin tone. "Yep, my all-time favorite is _The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars_."

I was astonished and even furthermore when Ziggy himself came over the speakers. I had never met another person even remotely around my age that even knew about the _existence_ of that CD. Paul leapt easily from the counter and jogged over to me.

"Ready to lose, rabbit?"

"Careful Paul, I don't want to ruin your whole night."

The ridiculously tall werewolf winked at me and picked up a sixteen pounder. It was easy to see that he had bowled his whole life. He had perfect form and let go of the ball dead center on the lane. The ball rolled inhumanly fast and cracked onto the front pin with a catastrophic boom. It split in two and thankfully stopped any further damage to the actual mechanism of the alley.

"What the fuck..." Paul comically muttered, his entire body frozen in surprise.

I lost it and fell to the wooden floor in laughter. My stomach hurt from the near convulsions that ruminated within me. Tears stung my eyes and I peered up at the embarrassed man with his russet neck turning scarlet.

"Yo-you haven't bowled since you Changed, have you?" I asked once my chest began to ache from laughter.

Paul's face lit up. "Yeah, guess I know now, damn it."

I wiped the tears from eyes, "You've got to go again anyway, just try to be gentle. I've always been this way so it just surprised me when you didn't remember."

Paul went again and successfully knocked down the surviving pins. It looked effortless for him, considering it had been a bizarre split with the single front pin destroyed.

The first game was decided quickly with Paul ending with a 210 game while I was at roughly 180. It was good for humans, but I was admittedly worse than I should be. We played a couple of more rounds, with Paul grabbing a beer from the fridge in the back room about halfway through the second. He shrugged when I saw.

"Too high of a metabolism to get drunk."

A giggle escaped me at the irony. "Neither can my mother. She moans and groans about it."

Paul's eyes lit up at the similarity. "What about you?"

"I can get a little tipsy after drinking about a barrel. The others were curious one day so we ran an experiment while the adults were... occupied." I admitted. Paul's smirk seemed to grow in appreciation of the story.

The rest of the night passed in a whorl of CDs, games, and overall fun. Paul had a sense of humor that was easy to see, as well as an ability to laugh at himself that I couldn't help but to admire. He offered me one of his beers, but I shook my head as the flavor was never something that I enjoyed. The feeling that spread slowly throughout the night from my toes to the top of my head was surprising. Even with Jake, I had never felt this... relaxed and happy.

The drive back was quiet and content and Paul's arm over my headrest no longer felt overwhelming. In fact, it seemed to placate the constant hole in my chest that had been ripped wide open when I was a mere fourteen year old. A scar so sacred to my people that I was marked as delicate china to be protected, a lock to the bars of my prison. The feeling of it disappearing was liberating yet frightening. _Could I really ever get over him?_

We pulled up to the same curve that just barely left my house in view. Paul was by my side of the door before the realization even processed. It was flattering.

"Thanks, nudist." I grinned at Paul exuberantly.

Paul's entire face seemed to go slack in what could only be described as happiness and amusement. "My ass left such an impression on you, I feel so violated, you perv. But you're welcome, to keep the whole gentleman facade up, let me walk you to your window."

He grabbed my hand, and we walked purposely slow towards the house, letting our hands swing between us. Once we were underneath my window, it hurt when he let go and I resisted the urge to snatch his hand back into mine. Before I could, Paul gently used that hand to lift my chin up so I could see his gorgeous face. The full moon illuminated the night to where it was practically daylight visibility to me. The sight made me grateful to be _alive_.

I wanted to see this moment with perfect clarity. A burn was shooting through my body with every beat of my heart as I pondered the impossibility of such a handsome man touching me like this. His dark eyes mesmerized me, losing me in a world of a million variations of brown and gold striations.

"Rabbit," his hot breath blew across my face as he leaned towards me, "thank you for the best night of my life so far."

Paul's other hand smoothed my stray hairs behind my ear as he pressed his lips against my forehead gently. He then pulled back, gave a sweet smile I hadn't believed him capable of, and let go of me.

I apparently floated and could hardly remember getting to my bed, I was so surreally happy from the sort-of-date that had just occurred. It was amazing my eyes started to drift so shortly afterwards.

Little did I know, frantic and grief-stricken howls would swallow the night only an hour and half later as I dozed on.


	14. Dream

_In Bella's dream..._

"Ow!"

My cheek busted open when a cactus met my face in sharp retribution. I tumbled over, incapable of not clutching my face in agony. It was easy to breathe with the dry, Arizona air, but the sun punished equally so. The weight of it bared down forbiddingly on my body. If I hadn't been raised in it, the temptation to faint would've overcome me by now.

"Again!" My brother's familiar voice commanded me.

"Dray, we have school tomorrow!" Ben complained somewhere above me.

"I don't recall fourth grade being so challenging that you can't train." My brother drawled out lazily, his hand on his hip as he towered over us.

I was already struggling to my feet before anything else could be said. This was not fun. Ben was sticking his tongue out. He didn't seem to care or mind that he had hurt me.

Boys were gross. And I was angry.

Without saying a word, I drew my dagger out and flew swiftly in an aggressive jag. Ben's always considerably bulkier frame tried to shift away. I finally, after a few months of attempts, nicked his cheek. Blood ran down his cheek and I was still on the attack when the skin sealed.

"Bell! No fair!" Ben began to get out of the way of my blade swiftly. I couldn't keep up.

Drayer chuckled softly. "Good job Bella!"

My brother always told me that the only way to fight was dirty.

Ben shifted into attack mode within an instant. His katana, which grew in size with his body as my blades grew with mine, sliced my arm as I dodged. A high groan escaped me, but I was much more used to pain than my sparring partner was. But I was still frustrated.

I grabbed the edge of the katana with my opposite hand, and punched Ben in the face _hard_. Ben dropped to the ground to his knees and clutched his face as he began to cry.

My eyes began to water too. My bottom lip quivered. When Ben hurt, my pain skyrocketed and plateaued unlike any of the cuts I received before. As we both sobbed, I wrapped my arms around him and tried to soothe myself. It began to alleviate only when the sandy haired boy began to quiet.

Drayer sighed and crouched beside us. "That's enough for one day, kids. Ben, you have got to toughen up for my sister. She doesn't make _you_ cry all the time."

The boy clutched me harder and started to cry violently. "I-I'm sorry B-Bella!"

A sharp fresh slice of pain entered once again. I hissed and Ben tried his best to stop.

Warm laughter flew whimsically in the air and the two of us kids calmed. "I never knew I raised such a sadistic son, Scoutmaster."

Drayer spun around jumpily and looked lightly embarrassed. Mom, much taller to my eight year old self, patted him on the shoulder. She was muscular and outwardly curvy in comparison to my brother's deceptively slight appearance. She also had the same chocolate hair as the two of us and pale skin.

I look a lot like Bubby and Mom. Except my eyes. I have my father's eyes.

"Isn't it cruel to make them train against each other like that?" Mom asked, her lips pursed. "I know I asked you to toughen her up, but this might be overkill." Her eyes skirted over Ben and I with our arms still around one another.

"What better way to train kids than with their own soulmate? Besides, there's no one sizeable to pair with either of them! You didn't give me much in terms of resources... I still have my own men to train anyways, Mother." Drayer complained brattily. Only the "mother" gave hint that my brother was older in years than my human father.

The lengthy age gap between siblings was very common among our kind.

He scooped both of us kids into his arms. We giggled when he threw us playfully in the air.

We landed on our butts and kept laughing.

"See? They're fine."

"It appears so." Mom observed. Laughter was in her voice. She then lifted me up with an arm, a playful grin on her face. "Did you finally beat him, Bella?"

I grinned proudly. "I scratched him!"

"But she cheated!"

"Now Benjamin, what's considered cheating?" Mom asked.

"When..." He scrunched his face up in thought, "when it isn't fair!" He declared proudly.

_The world disappeared after the statement that would someday transform my world into its cruel reflection._

My mother's arms suddenly became jelly-like in texture around me and everything began to melt in a haunting fashion. My heart pounded until the rhythm became the lone tangible element amongst illusions.

When I regained a sense of where the sky was and the feeling of my own toes, I was still looking at Ben. I was fourteen years old and so was he.

He was once again charging towards me, a grace and speed in his body that my own just couldn't keep up with. We had grown together yet apart over the years. He was approaching graduation into my brother's scouting unit while I was forever stuck as a useless half-breed by the clan. He was winning, needless to say.

Sure, I was still capable of defeating the mid-rank pure-breeds in practice matches. But my future mate was another story all together.

Benjamin was an absolute monster in combat.

His katana shredded my shoulder while I dove downward, stabbing his kneecap with my dagger. My broadsword thwarted the attempt of dismemberment of my head from my shoulders during the exchange. We found ourselves at a standstill.

"Just. Give. In. Bell." Ben spoke through gritted teeth. "The pepperoni pizza. Is. MINE!" He roared the last word outward and smashed my face with a triple-axle kick. He sprinted to the brown delivery box that we had wagered as a prize.

I landed on my hands and twirled into a forward position in front of him before landing on the dusty sand of the desert. "You're such a pig."

His blue eyes did a jubilant roll before settling on mine. He smirked as he grabbed a slice and bit into it. "Hmmm..." He moaned dramatically, "this is so good."

I tried to pretend like it didn't make me happy that he was happy. The idiot only knew too well that the bond worked that way. The silly games we played were synonymous to a loopback tool; no matter who won, we were both happy. It'd been that way since the day we had first laid eyes on each other.

"Oí! Lovebirds!" A familiar demanding voice called out. My cousin Ester had found us and was running towards us, her blonde curls bouncing with every step. Her caster robes kept getting caught underneath her sandals.

Casters tended to cause a scene near the training grounds. They were both clumsier and more beautiful than the average warrior-born. We heard some wolf whistles in all directions and Ben looked around fiercely to capture a face in his peripheral. He was very protective of Ester.

All of these shenanigans were possible thanks to the majority of the adults' absence. There'd been reports of vamps attacking the nearest clan to us three states away. That meant a minimum guard was here, enough to hold siege if anything were to happen, with the best fighters heading to the scene. My mother, the great General of the United Tribes, still felt guilt over her mother Medora's betrayal of the majority of the fae race.

So she was being a gallant leader that the majority of our people needed her to be, not just the direct few underneath her.

"Earth to Isabella!" Ester's golden hand brandished in front of my face, "I thought you warriors weren't supposed to get all spacey." She glared at me.

I blinked at her as my consciousness fled back within me. "Only when a threat isn't present." I smirked, "You certainly are _not_ a threat."

Ester's violet eyes, always a major stick-out when we were amongst humans, still attempted to bore a hole through me as Ben died with laughter.

"What I came here to say is that Drayer called Anna with some instructions to get everyone within the compound. They were seriously outnumbered over there." She sniffed.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise and Ben stiffened beside me. Enemies were heading towards us. This was rare.

Ben raised his voice to all the other teenagers training. Drayer had left him in charge of us. "Everyone, pack up! We are under lockdown!"

We all began the fast tread back home in a loose group. Ester paced with me in the back since she was naturally slower due to her nature. Castors and healers were physically weaker than us warriors.

Except for me, the freaking half-breed.

My szoló became uncomfortably tight in response to my thoughts. The birthmarks, which humans would often mistake as tattoos, didn't respond well to negative emotions.

The compound came quickly into view. Drayer told me once that our clan had lived in a castle, but it received too many funny looks so we had gone industrial. The structure was obscured by monstrously tall brick walls, which were colored the same as the sand. Solar panels glinted off from within them, our need to go green always present in our architectural decisions.

The climb up the wall was a familiar one. I took a leisurely stretch when I stood on the top ledge. We hadn't been under siege in a long time, and it was always best to enjoy the outside before being forced inside.

Ben grabbed my hand and smiled at me. "The General has got it, Bell. I'll take care of things here." He was no longer the little crybaby that I had grown up with.

I rested my head against his shoulder for the briefest of seconds before leaping ahead of him off of the wall. Air rushed through my limbs and it was a reprieve from the everlasting stillness of the desert.

The mere ten adults that my mother had left behind to provide security were spread around the compound. My hopes of not running into one of them was crushed when standard heavy duty boots strutted in front of me as soon as I landed in a crouch.

Evie groaned from beside me. "Aunt Renee couldn't have taken your sorry ass too?"

"Yeah she decided to leave the heavy duty equipment instead. Kids, get to your spots." Jack, Evie's older brother and my cousin, smirked. His violet eyes, identical to Evie's suddenly grew serious and looked above us to look at Ben. "Punk, get the girls to the first level and then plant yourself at the third."

Evie and I were prodded by Ben to head to the nursery, the post that we had been assigned for situations like this one. With the potential of enemies surrounding us, the little kids needed protected. It was difficult to ignore that castors and half-breeds were always considered weak. It was like a lollipop of strength: the strongest on the outermost level with the core being the weakest, most protected aspect.

It made my blood boil that I couldn't fight alongside Ben if anything were to happen. But even with my above exceptional ability as a half-breed and my mother as General, the bureaucracy took the choice to fight from me.

Evie squeezed my hand before she left to start entertaining the kids, ages ranging from one to ten. Ben stood awkwardly in front of me, unable to meet my eyes.

"Bell, there likely won't be an attack on that level. They have never gotten past the walls before." He muttered while looking at my feet.

Frustration made my words sharp. "Would you be able to stand it?" I gestured sharply to my chest. "Not being able to protect me?"

Ben flinched as he allowed our bond to seep into his conscience. He hurt when I hurt.

"What is the point of keeping us apart?" I cried, "If something happens to either of us, the other would be better off dead as well."

Soul-mates whose mates died were so fundamentally broken, Renee refused to even keep them in a combat position. They were almost always suicidal. If there were an equivalent to a broken soul-mate in human terms, it would be a drug addict in terms of behavior. Only more intense.

Rehabilitation was almost unheard for the lélek összetört. It was rumored among the younger generations that humans modeled zombies after them.

Warrior-born pairs of mates always fought together.

"Bella, I'm sorry." He sighed. He brought his forehead to mine and my entire body relaxed instinctually. His voice cracked. "Protecting you and keeping you here in this room are two separate things to me."

Now _I_ was hurting _him_. Tears pricked my eyes, the horrible feeling we had an insufferable, brewing monster between us.

"Just go and be safe." I purposely took the contact away from us and jerked my head roughly to the laughing kids in the background. "We will take care of them, let's put them first."

Words weren't necessary anymore and Ben plopped a sweet kiss on my lips. Love crept through the bond and made us strong.

He left and completed the lock on the emergency industrial door that was never used. Each clink that followed was hollow in my ears. Something wasn't right.

Minutes passed into hours, Evie performed silly magic tricks for the children while I gently wrestled with them. The compound was on a scale of a small town and we easily knew each kid from the time of his/her birth. Fae did not reproduce often so we only had fifty of the entire population under the age of eighteen. Despite the rarity, we were often born from the same family in spurts so many of their siblings were Evie and I's age, a couple of protection layers above.

It took ten hours for the kids to get antsy and aware of something awry. My chest was pounding with adrenaline which was difficult to mask from the children's strong senses.

"Bell, why can't we go home?" Ann tugged on my pants. I particularly remembered her birth, she'd been named in honor of my cousin Anna, one of the most renowned fae healers of our time. The little girl would not have survived without Anna's skill.

I went on my knees to her height level and hugged the six year old. "We are okay." I murmured.

"Is it Medora?" She whispered the name. The name of a boogie man. Or woman, I should say.

"Hopefully not." I swallowed past the lump in my throat. The practice of lying to children was hardly favored by the fae.

The younger kids, the ones capable of talking, knew that they were the likely targets.

Games were no longer an option. Evie and I passed out the food rations to the kids and began preparing the wide assortment of cots and air mattresses, along with some cribs for bedtime. The teacher, Cindy, was reading a story outloud in a soothing voice. Healers always had such nice voices.

The calm before the storm.

Excruciating pain shot through me. I almost screamed. I bit my hand and blood ran.

Evie instantly was beside me. Most of the children didn't notice, my fear and pain making me nearly invisible to non-magic users due to my gift.

Ann, the only tiny castor, whimpered and was there too.

"What is it, Bella?" Evie whispered.

"They reached the third level. Ben's hurt." My side was on fire.

He died the instant the last word was out of my mouth. I blacked out.

The next time I awoke, Evie was above me and children were screaming. She'd put a field spell around all of us. Vamps, ethereally beautiful, were marching into the room, masked in crimson. Ten total. One was licking his lips, seeming to enjoy the taste of the leftover blood.

I was the only large warrior-born in the room.

There was nothing left to lose for me either.

I leapt forward, my blades in my hands ready. I beheaded the first and two grabbed me, holding both my legs and shoulders. They were trying to get ahold of my head. A simple twist would end it. My body torqued and freed itself. A knife sunk into an eye socket of the one near my throat.

A bite seared through my shoulder and then through my leg. I skewered two with my broadsword to the wall.

Evie left the force field and tried to help. A vamp leapt towards her throat. I stopped it with my arm, sacrificing it to the monster's jaws and looked back to meet my little cousin's eyes.

"Not. You. Too." Tears broke down my cheeks finally and Evie retreated back wordlessly.

Three leapt on me at once and then mercy almost came. I closed my eyes in surrender.

I felt one scrap of a venomous tooth when it halted. Something threw the beasts away all at once. My eyes sprang open and I saw him.

Drayer. He was furious and fast. The vamps were in pieces. Then his arms were around me.

"It isn't fair." That's the last thing that was said before the world melted again.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I woke up with a gasp. A sound had awoken me and someone was there, looking at me. I was on my feet, ready.

It was Jacob's face that peeked curiously at me through the window. Why would he be here? On all nights when the past had tortured me with _his_ face and voice.

"Is everybody okay? Why're you here, Jake?"


	15. Clearwater

**Paul's POV**

Happy was hardly a fucking word for the emotion that flowed through me when I got home from my date with Bella. I was elated, over the moon about finally feeling sure of my imprint. The Spirits had gotten it as right as they ever could. She was tough, beautiful, and I was almost one hundred percent positive she could hand me my ass when I deserved it. Sure, I still didn't know if she had a tail, but it was all in the details.

My house was a welcome sight because I'd spent the last few days in Sam's guest room due to the extra shifts I'd picked up for this night. Luckily, school had been light and Sam relatively merciful. I stripped for bed as I entered my small, modest bedroom.

 _Would Bella would like it here?_ The thought gave me pause because it had been so long since I had shared a house with another person. My wolf purred at the idea.

I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

•••••••••••••

Sue Clearwater woke up with a gasp. An ominous creepy _thump_ at her window sounded off for a total of five times before she decided it was real. She reached out with her arm to wake up Harry. Cold jolted through her body when she found nothing but empty space where her husband was supposed to be.

Sue flicked on her nightstand and moved as fast as someone her age could manage. Harry would've woken her up if there'd been an emergency Council meeting, but maybe he was laying on the couch in the living room. His back had been hurting the last couple of days and the sofa seemed able to offer a reprieve that their bed couldn't. For some unknown reason, Sue's heart raced in fear despite the valid possibility. She felt it in her bones that _something_ was wrong.

Sue walked briskly out of the door after pulling her robe around her shaking shoulders. A flick to the light switch showed an empty couch. She jumped when she heard shuffling behind her, but it ended up being bedraggled Leah. Her daughter had always been a light sleeper.

"Mom? What's going on?"

Sue shook her head wordlessly when the doorbell rang. A glance to the clock showed it was 6 in the morning. Hoping it was just a Council member who was stopping by to tell her what Harry was occupied with, Sue opened the door with the groggy Leah at her shoulder. Leah screamed hollowly against Sue's ear and began shaking as she clutched at her mother's shoulders.

A man, hardly recognizable as one, laid against their doorstep in a large puddle of blood. The man's hand, which happened to have the only unmarked skin visible, was an unnatural blue. It was only when Sue saw the wedding band that she collapsed to her knees. It was Harry.

Her hands, always a healer's, searched for a pulse, some kind of a last strand of hope before she went hysterical. She turned around, prepared to wrestle her daughter into calling the ambulance while she began CPR.

Claws were sprouted from Leah's outstretched hands and her dark eyes were wide with fear.

Her daughter's scream had turned guttural and once again Sue felt shock sting through her. Leah was on her hands and knees, convulsions racing through her spine in a rhythmic pattern. Sue recognized the tremors with disbelief, matching them with those she had seen in Sam when she had given first aid to Emily as they had raced to the hospital together.

Her girl child began spouting fur against her will, and Sue snapped back into action. She screamed as loud as she could while running to the house phone and dialing 9-11. The scream was for the wolf pack, but nonetheless she called Emily's house after 9-11 dispatchers were given proper info.

A second later, Sam burst into the house naked, restraining the broken Leah. Sue didn't bother to say anything as she began the chest compressions on her husband, praying against all odds that it wasn't too late. Others of the pack entered her home, and Sue dimly realized that they were taking a growling Seth to the woods as well.

It was only until Emily, her niece, was hugging her at the hospital that Sue managed to realize that both of her children wouldn't be able to be beside their father at this time. It crushed her strong heart to pieces that such a heavy curse found her precious babies.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

The pack-mind was disoriented, grief-stricken, and violent. Jake could hardly keep a tiny Seth under control while Sam and Jared handled Leah. Not surprisingly, the first female shifter was a greater handful than her little brother. She was quick, so quick that Sam got a nasty ear nip and Jared a claw to the face. If Jake's mind wasn't seeing Harry's broken body over and over, he would've laughed.

 _Fuck! Jared, get Paul and Embry NOW._ Sam's thoughts whipped out before he roughly threw a berserk Leah into a tree. Alpha orders weren't reaching the siblings.

Jake felt Jared sprint towards Paul house first and he couldn't help but approve. The asshole was the best fighter. Jake felt Seth succumb to grief underneath him and the kid started helplessly sobbing.

_Dad..._

Keeping a firm grip on his scruff, Jake glanced up to see how Sam was faring. But Leah wasn't even close to calm. She was getting more violent if possible. She lunged for Sam's throat in a graceful streak of silver.

 _Goddammit._ A nimble, violent mind joined into the fray and within forty-five seconds Paul was on top of Leah, using his greater bulk and experience in the same way Jake recognized the bastard had used on him when he'd phased. Paul's mind was reeling and full of a wild grief that Jake recognized as entirely his own.

Sam's desire to be gentle with Leah was not present within Paul. He had her pinned, teeth locked onto her throat. He hadn't growled or given any signs of discomfort at the situation. _Order her again._

The alpha wasted no more time. _Leah, calm down._ The power strained through the pack mind and the fur on the back of Jake's neck stood up. Leah had no options but to stop growling. Thoughts of her dad couldn't be quieted, however.

 _What's happened has happened, girl. Your mom's got him now, it's done..._ Coming from Paul, well known on the Rez for his tragic past, Leah accepted the words. Waves of pain pulled through her and it was only then the Clearwaters seemed to simultaneously realize that they were no longer human.

Paul released Leah. _The legends are real, kids. That fucking rage has to go away before you can change back. Took me a month._ The apology was reflected in the words.

Sam went on to explain the situation in greater detail as Jake and the others fought hard not to think of Harry so Leah and Seth would have some peace.

A hunger pain jolted through Jake's stomach and Sam paused to take note. _You haven't been off patrol in the last fourteen hours, Jake. Go eat. Paul, you're officially on duty._

Jake felt elated, especially when Paul groaned internally. _Black, check on my imprint. This business probably isn't safe for her either, and she's not even on the Rez with us like..._ Harry's name wasn't thought of and Paul artfully distracted himself before he could finish.

The rest of the pack, save the dazed Seth and Leah, agreed and Jake was only too happy to oblige in being ordered to see Bells on his time off. Even by a prick who didn't deserve her. He padded off to the Swan house and quickly changed back to human form. He almost skipped to her tree next to her window before he skimmed up it swiftly.

Bells was facedown on her bed, without any covers on her at all. She wasn't wearing pajamas, but really cute clothes that he hadn't even known she owned. Puzzled, Jake rapped on the window and his Bella jumped up like a graceful, yet startled, cat. Her dagger poised in her hand delicately.

It was so... hard to get adjusted to the idea of Isabella Marie Swan as something other than human. Jake grinned at her, masking the feelings that he knew would only drive her away from him. Away from him... and closer to that undeserving bastard. All those thoughts fled when Bella approached the window with a pale, worried expression on her face. She looked scared as she flung the window open.

"Is everybody okay? Why're you here, Jake?" The panic in Bella's normally husky voice made him feel increasingly more guilty.

"All of the wolves are fine." He began and Bella's face was one of pure relief, "Harry Clearwater was attacked about an hour ago. He's in the hospital in critical condition. Leah and Seth both changed after they saw him."

"Oh no," Bella's face collapsed in stress, "wait... Leah?"

"We were as surprised as you." Jake took his time to survey the girl. Dark circles were under her eyes, like she had only slept a couple of hours. The clothes she was wearing were revealing, even more so then the tank tops she now had a habit of sporting at LaPush. It was out of character for even new Bella. " _Where_ were you tonight?"

Bella blushed as she seemed to recall what she had on. She worried her lip. And Jake suppressed a groan when he recalled a certain detail. It had been Paul's night off tonight.

"Okay, Bells. Please tell me it wasn't a date." He begged. His voice was a smidge whiny.

"No, we just hung out?"

"That sounds like a question."

"Jake, seriously, you're not Charlie."

"Do you have any _clue_ where that guy has been?"

Their squabbling was very quiet, and it was interrupted by Charlie's cell phone going off in a room a couple of walls off. Bella's eyes grew wide and misty as she listened to her father get the news about Harry. And then the panic set in as she heard Charlie getting ready. His feet began walking towards Bella's room. She glared up at Jake furiously.

"I'm already grounded for supposedly trespassing. Hide, Jake." She hissed between clenched teeth.

He threw his arms, bewildered. "Where? There's no ro-" Jake's words were interrupted when he was manhandled by Bella into her closet. His head barely cleared the ceiling, the door was shut quickly, and Bella pulled her blankets up to her neck. She shut her eyes innocently while Jake observed the scene through the crack of the door with a scowl.

Charlie entered the room and flipped the switch on. "Bella?"

His daughter squinted her eyes groggily at her father. "Dad?" Her voice came out hesitant and confused.

"I just got a call from Billy, Harry Clearwater is in the hospital in not so good shape. I'm gonna go see if there's anything I can do to help out." Stress cracked in his voice. "Sue and the kids must be out of their minds. I should be back by morning. Will you be alright here, Bella?"

Bella nodded respectfully, seeming to take the news quietly. "Yeah, Dad. I hope Harry gets better."

Charlie was already hurrying out the door as he muttered. "Me too, kid."

Jake opened the closet shortly after. "I was asked to make sure you were safe."

"They think it's Victoria?" Her voice quivered slightly. A fear of vampires was something Bella definitely possessed. It was a healthy trait.

Jake frowned, "There wasn't any time to really speculate, but now I think about it..."

His dark eyes shot out to search Bella's face. He shook his head from an odd, impossible thought. "It didn't look like a vamp attack."

"What? Who could've it been then?"

Jake's eyes wandered to the impossibly intricate, deadly marks on Isabella Swan's arm. "He looked almost sliced up."


	16. Hunt

Sam stood before the remaining members of the council on the same morning that Harry was found. He could hardly control the tick in his cheek from irritation. He needed to get out and hunt around the Clearwater house with his pack, not _talk_ about it. The only thing that kept him from saying so was that these men were Harry's close friends. They didn't mean to hold the pack back.

"Samuel, are you listening? Sue told us that Harry's body had lacerations in it, consistent with a knife." Old Quil asked.

"So?" Let him chase a scent and get real answers.

"So the odds of this being a cold one is weird. What cold one doesn't just go for the jugular?" This time it was Billy speaking.

"Well who on earth would hurt Harry if not the vampire who has been playing with us for all these months?" Sam growled.

"Well, from the way Sue was awoken and was toyed with, we have reason to suspect it's of... supernatural source." Old Quil clamored hesitantly, but Sam detected the faintest threads of smugness in his tone.

"What are you getting at? If it's supernatural and not a cold one..." Sam was confused before the implication of a knife hit him like a train.

"You've got to be fucking with me?! You think _Bella_ did this?" He trembled in outrage at one of his pack, an imprint, being blamed for such an atrocity.

Old Quil's face displayed no remorse. "It could've only been her."

Billy winced at his old friend but nodded his head at Sam. "I don't believe so either, but as chief, I can't ignore that possibility." He saw the look on the alpha's face and quickly added. "It's too much speculation to file a formal charge. I'm merely asking that you and the rest of the pack keep an eye on her. Avoid Paul as the guard because-"

"But she's an _imprint_ , Billy!"

"Please understand that my request is just a precaution. This council-" The chief cast an aggravated look at Old Quil. "will not do anything rash or stupid. The well-being of the tribe is our first priority, but Bella's bond to us is not under dispute. We just want everyone safe."

Sam sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Alright. I'll ask Bella to start patrolling with us, so that she has about three wolves with her at all times and our duties aren't neglected. On off time, I'll put Jared on her."

Billy nodded and frowned. "Why not Jake?"

"If Paul's not allowed to guard his imprint, then Jake isn't guarding Bella either. You want a pissed off Paul rampaging around?" He leveled a stare at his chief and the man quickly shook his head sheepishly. "Can I actually look for the bastard now?" Sam was at the end of his leash.

"Yes, be careful Samuel." Old Quil said regally.

 _Last time I checked you're not the chief._ The werewolf did not budge an inch and looked at Billy.

The older Black smiled, "Watch out for your brothers and sisters, son." He spoke in Quileute.

Only then did Sam walk away.

**Paul's POV**

It was difficult to coax Leah and Seth out of their self-pitying stages. The quicker they changed, the quicker they could see their dad in the hospital. Embry, the gentlest of us all, worked tirelessly to soothe them, which resulted in Leah snapping at him. I understood the rage and I quickly became the she-wolf whisperer amongst us. The bitch just wanted to fight.

I was more than happy to give it to her.

 _Oh wow, Leah, you almost got me there._ Her fangs nearly sank into my tail. _You know that's a cheap shot, right?_

A ripping growl. _Shut. Up._ Leah literally got a piece of my furry ass in her mouth. The sight of blood and grey fur galore had the rest of the pack snickering.

I yelped and admittedly, suddenly I was the bitch. _Leah... you never told me you ate ass. How much do I owe-_

She was beyond fluid thought and sank her fangs deeper into my flesh, and shook to emphasize the pain from the wound. I whined. _Someone help me, fuckers!_

The roaring amusement that accompanied the pain almost distracted us from Jake walking in human form towards us. He looked tired and drained. Meanwhile, Sam's mental presence joined us.

 _Why are you two not checking out the Clearwater's house?_ He snapped at Embry and Jared, who were too busy rolling on the forest floor. Sir Alpha's scattered thoughts ran too fast to catch. I, ironically enough, was designated as babysitter for the newest additions.

"Bella, look away I'm getting naked." Jake's voice called out.

Holy shit. Who was he talking to? She couldn't be here, could she? Leah ripped into me further but I ignored her as I searched for my imprint.

Low laughter from high above had us looking into the trees. Bella had snuck up on us and had a prime seat to my misery. Her muscular legs swung casually in tune with her laugh while she responded. "Sure Jake, trust me when I say I'm not looking at you."

Amusement reigned on her face as she gave me a very smug smirk.

Oh shucks, if I could blush in wolf form. This was embarrassing. Leah abruptly released me and gave hysterical mental laughter. It must really be shock if she wasn't wondering why the hell Bella was on top of a 100 foot tree. She was starting to cool down, but high stress still colored her mind. Seth laid away from us and was still unbearably sad.

"Bella, if you're tired of running, you can ride on my back on the way to my place." Jake called, his voice high with annoyance. The guy was exhausted.

"I'm good with running, Jake." Bella still didn't glance down at him, her eyes still trained on mine. "Anything I can help with, Sam?"

Sam's mind closed off like a wall and then he shook his furry jaw. Bella stood, Jake shifted, and then I received the privilege to watch as her lithe body silently darted from tree to tree until she was out of range of our senses.

The whole pack was in awe of my imprint's stealth. I was so proud.

 _That could be useful._ Sam filed it away into his mental notes about Bella.

 _What's an imprint?_ Leah's thoughts were curious but somewhat full of dread.

It was Jared whose mind slipped, allowing the full details for the reason the love of her life left for her cousin. Leah had resented Sam's presence after turning, but her father's health had distracted her from truly showing the rage and heartbreak held within. The information about imprinting sent the she-wolf spiraling back to a primal state where she wanted only one thing.

She was _fast_. Faster than any of us, and my attempt to catch her by the scruff failed when she launched towards our alpha's throat. Too fast for an alpha order.

An injured Sam, too masochistic and guilty to defend himself, later left to finally investigate with the others. Leah felt a little guilty in being a delay since she wanted justice for her father.

 _Don't worry about it._ I would've done much, much worse if I was in her position.

She licked my face in appreciation and finally laid back next to Seth. He was starting to become more aware of his surroundings.

_Alright, kids. Let's focus on getting you guys unfurry._

It took twelve hours for the Clearwaters to shift with my help. It wasn't a bad record since the circumstances were terrible, but Jake's transition and natural ability had almost made me forgot how truly difficult it was. Meditation helped because Emily had taught me. I still held the record for taking the longest to shift back the first time.

The hunt that Sam led was beyond puzzling. The doorstep where Harry had been dumped was wiped clean of any scent except human blood, all of which belonged to our council member. The two-story bedroom window that Sue hinted about was wiped clean too. The scent of the wind, always present in our noses, was even absent on it.

Sam theorized that it was one of those special abilities that Bella had told us about. The vampire Victoria or one of Bella's kind could've done it, or some other species we didn't know about. The only successful part of the mission was that now we knew it was supernatural.

Only once Leah and Seth were gone did Sam inform us that Old Quil was gunning to pin the blame on my imprint. The news wasn't really as shocking to me as it was to the others.

 _You're taking this... well._ Jared ventured.

_I'm sure Bella would be even less insulted. We don't even know what the hell she is, guys. She's my soul-mate, but that doesn't mean we can't take extra measures to make sure our tribe is safe. Harry is almost dead for fuck's sake. If anything, she'll be safer this way._

Sam let out a sigh. _Don't tell her anything about this._ Been awhile since I've been alpha-ordered, the weight of it shackled me. _Take a break, everybody. Paul, get Jake out here immediately with Bella later. You can spend a little time with her first. I'll stay here. And for the love of the Spirits, don't tell Seth or Leah about this, **Jared**._

I knew Bella was strong but I shuddered to think what Leah would attempt to do to her if Old Quil's suspicions reached her.

**Bella's POV**

Jake was sleeping (he needed it) while I read an old book of Rachel's on the couch. Relaxation and simply hanging with my best friend all day until dark helped to relieve our tension, and it made Charlie feel better that I was not alone. Harry had only gotten worse and my father was staying the night at the hospital with Sue, whose kids were mysteriously not there. Reading for the first time since I had been grounded was truly gratifying.

The peace was broken when I heard heavy footsteps out of the woods. Then a second later, Paul slid through the rickety door that Jake still needed to repair. He looked about as tired as Jake had and how I felt. Neither of us had gotten much rest because of our late night escapade.

The night before now felt like a dream; the tangibility of it sullied by violence.

"Hi, Paul." I smiled at him shyly.

He was dirty and there was dried blood on him from Leah. His dark eyes looked me over and I felt myself blush. I'd dressed in my usual Bella of Forks attire, not what I truly wanted to wear. Paul had probably gotten accustomed to the latter.

The tall man prowled over to me slowly, and it felt as though I was being hunted. I tried not to melt into the couch from the feeling. My heart started speeding. He let the back of his hand scrape my cheek softly, tenderly.

The corners of his mouth quirked up into a sexy smile. "Hey babe." And then he seemed to sashay to the door to Jacob's room where he unceremoniously kicked the door open.

"Wake up, Black! Vacation's over."

Jake's breath started out startled and quick. "Fuck, Lahote, I'm going to kill you and the leech first so I can sleep!"

I couldn't help the laugh that bubbled pleasantly from my chest.

"Well that would just solve everyone's problems, now wouldn't it?" Paul responded, but he was already heading back to me. He once again was fixated on me. I awkwardly scrambled up the couch as he plopped down.

The proximity burned my body, set it afire. Paul's hand leisurely began to stroke my hair while the other rubbed my bare calf. I tried to keep calm but it was a losing battle. He was an antidote to the coldness that had been a part of me for years, what I had been hiding from everyone, even my closest friends. My breathing came out rugged and my head fell back, exposing my neck.

Paul's mouth tracing my bare skin on my neck rose goosebumps and I became oddly immobile. He made his way to my lips slowly and I couldn't help the startled squeak out of my mouth. He pressed them gently to mine but then pulled away abruptly. I whined deep in my throat and he stroked my face while looking up smirking.

"Sorry pup, my imprint and I will get out of this house." I only then noticed rapid breathing from a corner of the living room. Someone who either had just finished a marathon or a very pissed off werewolf was there.

It was definitely the werewolf.

"If you weren't holding her right now, **I'd rip you apart**." Jake's surreally guttural voice rang out while I tried to peek my head around Paul's humongous body to see him. Paul's hand blocked me, sparing me from the sight of my friend's livid face.

"Get out before you hurt her. You can kick my ass later, promise." The door slammed and my head was released. Glaring at the handsome jerk above me was the de facto course of action.

I was livid. "What the hell, Paul?!" Cussing wasn't my thing usually.

"Calm down, rabbit. None of this is in our hands." Paul had stood up from the couch with me held princess-style in his arms. He walked out of the Black house.

"Where are you taking me?" Kicking his chest entered my mind, but the thought quickly fled. He was in human form. Hurting my Paul wouldn't happen. _'My?' Where is this all coming from?_

Paul's eyes softened under the moonlight as we moved quickly. "We need to talk about everything, rabbit. You and I need sorted."

That shut me up out of agreement. This definitely needed figured out, my soul, something I had believed on a plane I could no longer see, was tugging at me.

After ten minutes, we were in a humble house I recognized from the time I had wrecked the dirt bike when Jake was "teaching" me. It was odd, looking back I would've never thought a gorgeous man lived here. The inside of the home was organized, clean, and easily identified as Paul's home by its scent. He sat me down in a really comfortable rocking chair.

"Wow, no wonder Charlie is always in one of these."

Paul laughed softly. "Yeah, I feel as though I've cracked some code that people our age are just neglecting." His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled.

He was nervous but so was I. He was kneeling in front of me on the carpet, his hands on my thighs and eyes on my face. The touching didn't seem voluntary on his part. Like if he let me go then he'd lose me.

"Paul, what's imprinting?"

Paul flinched, and his hand stroked my hair soothingly. He answered after a deep breath, "It means the Spirits have dictated us soulmates."

My heart died and suddenly any intentions previously on staying collected were gone. I began to hyperventilate and the dam I kept around my devastated heart burst. Much like when I crashed the bike just outside this house, I began to see _him_. He was still just a boy, but what they did to him was still evident. _Bites around his eyelids, his ravaged neck, bone exposed around his chest, an arm ravaged off..._

 _He was still murdered._ And he was forever trying to protect me although that's how he was in that state at all.

_**Bella... calm down. Control it. I know you can...** _ _Those once gorgeous blue eyes were stained crimson yet I could still see the traitorous love that took him from me within them._

_My one true soul mate, even in death, consoled me._

The living werewolf, the one I would betray him with, held me tight in his arms to comfort me as well.


	17. Torn Apart

**Paul's POV**

Everything was so impressively fucked up. Bella was petrified. My wolf couldn't stop his whimpering long enough for me to do anything. I needed to stop the pain; Whatever had hurt my imprint, I had to obliterate and _destroy_.

Shakes that overcame the sanctity of my skin battled the violent urge as the tiny, pale girl in my arms began to emit a high pitched keening that assaulted my senses. Her trembling hand reached aimlessly in the air around us, aiming for an object that couldn't be seen or felt.

"I'm sorry, _please_ come back..." She sobbed helplessly into my bare arm, tears streaming down onto the carpet. "I promise you won't get hurt again, _come back_."

Goosebumps raised when a draft went through the same arm my imprint was crying on. My wolf went silent, suddenly calmed although the human part of me was now freaking out. The rabbit went motionless. Her face tilted up and the tears shone brilliantly.

"Are you sure?" She whispered and her wild, drowned eyes darted to my face in shock. "How is this possible?"

My mouth popped open to question but her eyes drifted away once more. My imprint wasn't asking me. She seemed in deep concentration on something invisible right in front of her.

A pulled breath and a scared, almost hopeful expression. "I don't deserve this. _He_ ," she jerked her head towards me, "deserves better."

An angry growl finally escaped me. "Rabbit, what the hell is going on?"

She collapsed against me as soon as the cool presence seemed to disappear. She was sweaty, which was odd as I had seen her take down one of my pack brothers without so much as a sign of fatigue.

She rested against me for a long time while I rubbed circles into her back, stroked her hair, looking for _anything_ that could close this distance between us.

Bella finally looked at me and freed herself to stand firmly. "It was nothing. I'm sorry, Paul, but I need some time to process... all of this." She murmured. She sprinted out of the house right as I was about to protest that Sam had requested her presence.

Excruciating pain hit me at the rejection. I fell to my knees. Damn leeches and whatever the hell had possessed Bella to make my heart feel torn out. I dragged my feet to the forest so I could tell Sam that we had a runaway.

Old Quil might have a point too, my girl was a little strange.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••

The tiniest creak of a branch was a minuscule trace to detect and pursue, even for him. It was becoming increasingly more difficult as his target was leading him through unfamiliar territory.

Jared has been sent to trail Bella since he was the best tracker in the pack. Another reason, which annoyed him greatly, was that he was unbiased because he didn't want to get in her pants.

 _Don't think about Bells like that!_ Jacob chimed in.

Jared nearly lost the scent and had to double back to correct himself _. Please **shut up** so I can focus._

Bella wasn't a fast supernatural, but she was an absolute ghost when she needed to be. Jared resolved that she should be their scout once it was proven she wasn't a traitor. They'd be able to save more people if the vamps weren't alerted to their presence.

After about an hour of running, Jared found himself pursuing her in an open field parallel to the highway that led to Port Angeles. The moon, which had been full the night before, had the smallest sliver cut out of it. Bella slowed her pace several miles ahead of him and only then could Jared hear jagged, uneven breathing. The telltale signs of crying.

_What happened to her? She was positively giddy earlier while Paul was having his ass handed to him by Leah._

_I don't know, please find out._ Jake quickly pleaded.

 _No, focus on the mission._ Sam alpha-injected in. _We need to know what she's up to and then that she's safe._

Mentally grumbling to himself, Jared quickly changed and got dressed once the suburbs of the city began. Luckily Bella chose an inconspicuous, louder pace as well. Jared absentmindedly pursued the still-crying female at a mile distance with his ears. Sounds, distracting from his trail, picked up as the familiar shops appeared.

He lost her about ten minutes after they reached the city. Frowning, Jared tried not to appear too thuggish as he peered through the store windows and over people's shoulders. This was a rough area where people's eyes seemed incapable of looking him into the face. Which wasn't all that odd.

He did appear to be an extremely muscular, shirtless man casually strolling the streets of a city. Jared certainly would've stared at himself if positions were reversed. He was, after all, _quite_ handsome if he did say so himself.

Blaring music in a side alley interrupted his self-assessment as industrial doors burst open and then shut. Bella's lithe figure, a sight Jared had grown accustomed to in the last few weeks, cast long shadows alongside what appeared to be a lean, slight man.

Jared gathered all his stealth and remained completely still as he rested his body against one of the buildings. Not able to see them, but hear them. A crucial goal.

"You're saying this boy affects you in a similar way Ben did? It could explain why you didn't fade away all those years ago. Only part of your soul could've been owned by Ben, like that one legend that Mom used to tell us when we were younger." The unknown man mused in a thoughtful tone. "The fact that you survived would make much more sense."

"I need help, there has to be a way to free him. Nobody deserves only half of someone!" Heavy tears could be heard in Bella's voice.

"Sweetheart, I know you don't want to hear this, but I'm grateful to whatever circumstances that has caused that light to return to your eyes."

"Please." Bella sounded utterly desperate, like the idea of being happy was somehow agony.

"Fine, I can try a ritual if you get me some of his hair. But you'll be destined for misery." The man sounded as though the idea was an unpleasant one.

What the hell were these people talking about?Jared frowned at the way she viewed her relationship with Paul, and that the bastard she was talking to seemed to buy it. Imprinting was _never_ a mistake.

As Paul's pack brother, Jared vowed that whatever ritual that could break an imprint wouldn't happen.

"If it saves him from this fate, then I'll gladly take it." Bella swore vehemently. A pause followed. "I can't believe those bastards sent you here." The shift in conversation was delivered in a low, furious hiss.

"Bell, it's not that simple-"

The baritone, dry voice was cut off. "No! You and Mom promised me time with my father and freedom, Drayer Thomas." The name rolled off her tongue heatedly. "Also, why in the world are you a bouncer at a strip club?"

Silence hung in the air for a few moments. "I was following The Call. My mate just so happened to be a stripper in the closest city to you." That same dry voice almost sounded embarrassed.

Jared's eyebrow rose. A mating call to a stripper? What a guy.

Bella squealed in what sounded like open delight. The previous anger seemed forgotten. "What's her name? When do I get to meet her?"

"Éponine. Like the play." A chuckle. "As for meeting her, little miss, I was not made aware that little recluses that hide from their families get to meet anyone."

"There's been a lot happening." Bella sounded sheepish. "I wanted to handle it on my own, but it's too much. My panic mode told me you were here and I came for help..."

"You wouldn't come for help if it was just for yourself. Don't even make me _think_ of last year."

"Geez, you need to get over that! I really _do_ need your help." Bella groaned like the mere utterance of the plea hurt her, "I met very genuine, kind supernaturals that live nearby. They've been killing rogue vamps for a long time and-"

"I know quite a bit about it, Bella. I may of requested Evie to... check up on you." Drayer admitted.

"You broke the deal." Bella deadpanned, fiery anger once more simmering in the air. Jared got slight goosebumps as a result.

"Bell, though impossible it may seem to you, losing you will break me. Stop being such a childish brat. I haven't interfered and your damn pride can take a backseat for once."

Bella drew a breath and spoke quickly. "I'm sorry. Asking this from both you and Renee was unfair and selfish. Is there any way you can help my friends? There's been a human attacked. Cuts all over him."

"Cut?" Drayer's voice was mildly surprised.

"I was hoping it was just the vamp playing with us." Bella whispered.

"That would be an odd game to play rather than just ripping out the man's throat." Drayer sighed. "I didn't want to have to bring this up, but she was spotted in this state about a month ago. Perhaps it's time you're brought back home."

"What?" She yelped. "That creature has shown little interest in me, Drayer! This is just a vamp incident."

"How about you check then? Check and if it's our grandmother, then you and I are returning home."

Bella sounded disgusted. "Fine, and if it's not, you complete the ritual and once again swear to let me live my life."

"Deal. Now go check while I finish this shift up."

Jared drew in a sigh of a relief when he heard Bella exiting the alley on the other side in her familiar human gait. He had to tell the pack immediately. Maybe somebody, hopefully not himself, could reason with Bella about the imprint. Sure, Paul could be a dick and if he were her, he'd reject the asshole in a second. But it didn't sound like she _wanted_ to...

He kicked against the wall to walk away when something pressed against his neck.

A blade was pressed against his neck and then another against his spine. They dug in hard and Jared froze.

"Pup, anybody ever tell you that it's rude to eavesdrop?"

Warm blood trickled down Jared's neck.

"My sister and I were discussing... family matters." Drayer whispered coldly.

**Bella's POV**

I cursed myself for not driving to Port Angeles. Sure, I had been upset, but now conservation of energy seemed invaluable. Drayer had to be wrong. That bitch of a grandmother couldn't possibly be the one behind Harry's injuries. Renee's description of her activities had always been that of a madwoman who was too busy raging internal wars amongst our people and snatching other people's children to care about one of her many grandchildren.

Let alone a half-breed and the equivalent of a bastard at that.

Yes, despite Charlie and Renee's marriage, I was still considered a bastard by many. My father wasn't my mother's mate, nor was he a fae. It was a double homicide on my person, a permanent mark on my forehead for all to see just from my half-formed szolo to my gentle disposition. We were all considered too weak to fight, but enough like a fae to protect from threats.

The odds that my grandmother took any interest in me would be a sign of weakness. Even though I was an abnormally strong half-breed.

My entire life seemed like a checklist of taboos. My parents weren't mates, I was a half-breed, and my mother is the renowned General. To top it all off with a cherry, I had lost Ben.

And now it seemed as though I was regaining a soulmate in a very angry werewolf. It wasn't natural; my soul was halved when Ben died. Paul deserved all of his mate, not just a pale imitation. I _needed_ to fix this.

It took me roughly an hour to get to the hospital.

A receptionist, one I recognized from visiting Dr. Cullen, smiled at me winningly. "How may I help you?" Her eyes slid over my disheveled appearance disdainfully.

"Yes, can you tell me where Harry Clearwater's room is?"

She gave me a room number that belonged to the intensive care unit. I walked quickly to the area. Charlie was in a chair beside a bedridden Harry. My father looked exhausted. Leah, Seth, and Sue were on the other side of the hospital bed. The kids looked the roughest and were leaning their heads on their mother's shoulders.

Sue appeared to be the most alert out of the bunch. "Bella, is everything alright?" Her voice cracked in odd places, betraying her emotional state.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat. "Yes, I just came to see Charlie."

Sue threw me an odd look. I was aware that she knew I wasn't human, but Sam had told me that the woman had testified on my behalf in front of the council. But this was before her husband resembled a ravaged piece of meat.

I had never seen a sight so gruesome, even with my heightened tolerance for violence. Fae weren't gentle creatures towards their enemies.

"What do you need, Bella?" Charlie asked. His voice was no longer awkward due to stress.

The cuts all over Harry were methodical, each with a purpose from what exposed skin I could see. The observation didn't bode well for me and fit Drayer's prediction.

My eyes jerked to my father's face. "Jake just went to go see some of his friends and I didn't want to be alone." I lied smoothly. My voice was as quiet as possible.

The new wolves did not need to be angered by my fake, shallow excuse to see if their father was cut up by one of my kind.

I needed to touch him. One touch was all I needed to see if there was a spell on him. Anna could be called and she could help him.

 _But could I run from Drayer making me go home if I did **that**?_ The selfish thought snapped me out of my revery. If I could help one of my father's best friends, then I would. No matter the cost to my personal vendetta of isolation.

Adrenaline pounding at the thought of the Clearwater siblings shifting in the hospital and hurting Charlie misdirected the attention and gave me some leeway. I touched Harry's exposed leg and power spiked through the tip of my finger to my chest.

Absolute dread filled me. Drayer was right.

"...work for you?" Charlie's voice drifted through my thoughts. My head snapped over to him.

"What?"

"I was going to get these guys food to eat downstairs. Want to help?"

"Sure, Dad." I followed Charlie loyally out of the door. As he was ordering the sandwiches in the cafeteria, I asked for his phone to call Anna.

"Anna Crosse."

I smiled despite the situation. Anna's voice had that effect on people. "It's Bella. I need help."

"I'm so glad to hear from you, Bella! What can I do?" Anna asked quickly, her voice laced in pain. She had obviously missed me.

I tried not to feel guilt. "There's an injured human that I believe Medora hurt."

Anna sucked in a breathe. "At Forks?"

"We are at Forks Hospital. Drayer is close by, but I think you should bring Nate as protection." Nate was Anna's mate, and was conveniently a warrior.

"I'll be there tomorrow, we will run." Anna sounded determined, but still within the range of her gentle disposition. Medora's attack four years ago had also killed our Jack. My cousins and I both mourned for the same people, although the severed mating bond had almost killed me.

"Anna?"

"Yes, baby?" She was still a good hundred years older than me, only two years off from Drayer. Our relationship was an odd mix between sibling and parent just like with my brother.

"Do you want revenge too?" I whispered.

There was a slight pause. "Yes, but I don't let that ugliness control me." She sighed. "Please stay safe until we get there. Listen to your brother."

I hung up the phone, unable to promise such a thing.

_Lying to another fae beckoned bad luck._

I had to somehow collect some hair from Paul Lahote and trick Drayer to perform the ceremony before I hightailed it out of Forks.

Medora would probably, based off of her recent actions, order her lackeys to follow me. And then what was remaining of my soul could be safe.

••••••••••••••••••••••

Medora Crosse rarely got her hands dirty. She was always a meticulous woman in both business and pleasure. It was due to this trait that she had accomplished what she had. A new nation of superior fae was just within her grasp.

That didn't mean, however, that _everything_ was perfect.

Her worthless children continuously foiled her deadlines. In particular, her warrior-born daughter Renee was in her way. _Of course_ , her daughter just had to earn the title of General of their people and be fairly competent at it. It made complete sense, in retrospect, that Medora's greatest obstacle was her own flesh and blood.

The nuisance had escalated to the point where a side project of Medora's was to assassinate Renee. A project that was proving challenging, thus the newest plan was a bit evil, even for Medora's standards. She had nearly forgotten that Renee had a half-breed offspring at all, but it seemed the easiest way.

She would kidnap the little brat, torture her quite thoroughly, and then demand Renee rendezvous with her in exchange for the hostage. She would then sic her army of leeches and warrior-born soldiers onto the great General. And finally, Medora would be able to get back onto schedule with her planned genocide.

"Empress, I laid down the warning like you said to." One of her many warrior-born reported.

A grin split her face. She idly wondered whether she should be the one to make the trip to pick up her precious grandchild. She glanced at the two pathetic creatures that were recruited just for the chore; one with hair of fire and the other pitch black. A human starving for the promise of immortality and a talented vampire whom Medora had later plans for.

Vampires were both the easiest to manipulate and the most enjoyable to make scream.


	18. Strand of Luck

**Paul's POV**

Jared hadn't phased back in a long time. Sam was absolutely freaking out. I was exhausted and my chest felt fucking ripped open.

That just about summed up the night. Now it was morning. It was entirely too gorgeous of a day for what had just transpired.

We ran in unison around the border while Sam strategized who to send after Jared. He ignored my pessimistic prediction that another one of us would go missing. After my experience with Bella last night, I found myself becoming overly superstitious.

Voodoo and Paul do not mix.

I would miss Jared dearly.

 _For the love of god, don't think of him like that._ Embry groaned. Being the most anxious of us, the kid was at his limits on stress.

_I am like 99% sure I was in the presence of a ghost last night, Em. Death is just a natural stage of life and I do not think it harms any of us to prepare for the possibility-_

_Shhh. Shut up, dumbasses._ Sam was suddenly on alert. His nose had picked up Jared along with a fresh scent that was on our land and utterly bizarre; Jared had to still be in human form. The last any of us remember his presence in the pack mind, the idiot had been an hour's run to Port Angeles.

As Sam traced the trail, something _fast_ attacked him. It was on top of his back like he was a pony. How the fuck do you defend yourself against a piggy back ride?

"Hello." A full, bored voice sounded. "I am holding your pack-mate in my arms right now. It'd be terribly easy to snap his neck."

Sam stopped struggling. _Don't come any closer._ It wasn't an alpha order, but none of us dared disobey.

The assailant had the balls to bend over and look our alpha into the eyes. He was human pale, handsome, and had dark hair framing his face. A wry smile twisted his lips. Cold, stormy gray irises warned against any sudden moves.

"Now, I would like to speak to the one named Paul. I'm not feeling any burning hatred towards you when I look into your eyes, so I'm guessing you're not him. Could you ask the lad to come here? Phase back to human form once he's close?" He spoke in a formal manner.

I started running towards the scene before Sir Alpha could do something both brave and idiotic. I shifted without thought.

I walked slowly through the shrubbery once I was close to them. The last thing needed was for this bastard to have trigger hands around Jared's neck. I could only imagine how difficult it was for my pack brother not to shift.

It was not instantaneous enough to save him. Not if this stranger was as fast as a vamp.

The man was sitting casually on top of the black, snarling wolf that was Sam. He was sitting side-saddle with Jared pulled across his lap. He was at ease and swinging his legs like a child. It looked totally bizarre since the man was significantly smaller than us.

The relaxed smile on his lips warned me not to be fooled by that.

Jared's face was carefully blank with that pale hand poised strategically at the nape of his neck. There were healing wounds on his face and back.

"Ah, Paul. It's good to see how quick you are at following commands issued by me." The stranger said. His tone wasn't even intentionally insulting, but somehow I knew he meant exactly what he said.

A mild growl ripped through my chest. "Yes, I am. Can you please let Jared go?"

The stranger _tsked_ like a condescending prick. "I am not in the mood for fighting four of you off of me. I am in enough trouble as it is."

"Who would punish you for this?" My mind was racing.

That smile grew to a shit-eating grin. "Do you not see the family resemblance, Paul Lahote? My baby sister is _quite_ fond of you."

Holy shit. That man was basically Bella Swan but with a dick. The only difference was the testosterone and eye color.

"Why are you doing this?" I felt like I was swallowing gravel as I spoke.

Bella's male doppelgänger blinked at me. "Well I have to decide if I side with you or my sister. Things are about to get messy soon." Jared gagged when he tried to wrestle his head out of the man's hold. Sam growled.

"Side with who about what?"

"Bella is getting antsy with all that's going on. She's trying to make me interfere." He gestured towards me like I was some type of wayside science experiment gone awry.

"What?" I asked stupidly.

"You heard me. I make bond between Bella and dog go bye-bye." He spoke slowly. I saw red.

The dead man leaned forward to watch my reaction closer.

I found I really didn't give a fuck about Sam or Jared at that moment either.

I lunged forward in a streak. The little motherfucker laughed and threw Jared into a tree. Sam tried to get the bastard but he was too fast. We met in midair.

 _I'll attack anyone that gets in my way._ Sam and Jared ceased moving at my declaration. I never bluffed.

I knew he would have more mobility than me; it was a given with the agility Bella had shown us the other day. But watching my imprint had given me some clues about what to do. It was obvious the man was planning on gutting me with whatever lay underneath his skin.

To my surprise, it was a broadsword nearly identical to Bella's.

If I didn't know any better, it appeared as though the fucker wanted to behead me with it. I waited until it was an inch to my neck and shifted back to human. Bella's brother blinked stupid at me and I grabbed the blade with my hand and _pulled_.

There was a satisfying crack of his jaw when I hit him and I shifted back the instant we hit the ground. He was underneath me now; the wolf's speciality in dealing with prey. He desperately pried my jaws apart with his hands while my claws swiped down his body.

I was surprised that he didn't scream. I almost could've sworn that laughter escaped his lips before something hit me. Hit me _hard_. I rolled with the impact and landed on all fours.

A very familiar, wild girl was on top of her brother, fists flying as he kept laughing. "You _idiot_! Where do you get off attacking _my_ friends?" His facial bones were making horrific noises as they cracked from the tremendous blows.

Sam, Jared, Embry, and I all flinched. _Ouch._ It was a unison consensus of literal group think.

My anger fled my body at the sight of my gorgeous imprint. Bella suddenly stood up over the stranger. Her chest heaved from exertion and her own fists seemed to be healing from small fractures. She looked at the man with her nostrils flared.

 _His name is Drayer._ Jared filled us all in on the conversation he had overheard.

Anguish flowed over me at the revelation that Bella wanted to leave me. It hurt more than anything I had encountered in the past decade.

" _Do it_ , Drayer. It's Medora. I'm causing more harm here than good." Bella commanded shakily. Her heart was pounding.

Drayer swung to his feet gracefully. He smiled lazily at her. "It's not as bad as you think, Bell. I think there could be a defensive option here."

"Why? They shouldn't have to fight our bitch of a grandmother!" My imprint's body was becoming fuzzy at the edges. A pounding headache overcame me since I refused to look away. "Do what you promised you would. Make him forget me and we can leave!"

The last few words were mere echoes of what they should've been. Bella was no longer visible, even though her brother still looked calmly at the spot she was before.

"I'm sorry." He said softly, "I can't do that to you."

**Bella's POV**

Drayer's words rang in my ears hollowly. Of course he would hurt Paul even worse rather than harm me. Everyone here would die if we didn't do something. My brother's ignorance confounded me and made my stomach roll.

We could hardly protect our own people or our own children. Why would I believe him on this?

I clutched the gray fur in my hand fiercely and ran away from my idiot brother, Forks, the pack, and _him_. I would find someone to break our bond so that Paul would never feel the pain that permanently coursed through my veins. Then I would run for the rest of my life with the knowledge that he was safe.

My life at Forks or in Arizona was a small price for that.

I heard Drayer curse behind me and try to keep up. My gift only worked halfway on him. He always saw some after-shadow of me. Headaches never occurred either. Mom had always thought that it was because he could never hurt me.

Fortunately, Drayer had also taught me scouting tactics so getting away from him was possible. I made my presence feather light. I ducked and weaved through the trees. My breath minimized to the barest whisper. Ten minutes later, my brother lost my trail.

A wolf cried an agonizing howl.

I squashed guilt far into the deepest recesses of my mind. Some noise would need to be made to lead that fiery-haired vamp away from them. I pursed my lips. It would be tricky not to be caught by Drayer.

I'd head to Kentucky where a caster owed me a favor. I couldn't get killed with the bond so I'd have to be careful until then. A bond with a dead mate was maddening.

My lips burned where Paul had kissed me earlier. Like a brand or some kind of drug while tears slid down my face. I blame it on this display of weakness because then my infamously bad luck hit.

I heard something fast in the distance. The gait was wrong for a wolf and I would never hear Drayer coming for me. Shit. I wanted to lead Victoria away from Forks, but some control over the situation was everything. It was difficult to hide scent.

Taking a whiff in the air, a stream or river was my next stop. Either that, or I get ready for a fight. That vamp was hard to fight, she was the one who caught me last time and snapped my leg.

_I collapsed to the ground to a cacophony of laughter. Blood dripped from my forehead onto the ballet studio floor that my clan had once owned. The vamps had been chasing me for awhile. The mistake of falling asleep, a necessity that I needed which they didn't, was my downfall._

_The view of the floor disappeared when a cold hand gripped my hair and **tugged**. A perfect, terrifying face appeared in front of me. James smiled a fierce show of teeth towards me. They were too sharp. A crack split his face where my sword had slashed._

_"You gave quite a run for a half-breed, Bella. The Cullens made it a challenge for me as well. Your blood..." His nostrils flared and eyes closed as if cherishing it. They then snapped back open. "Is delicious."_

_His booted foot slammed into my chest. My breath escaped my lungs in a sharp hiss and ribs cracked. It took all of my will power to stay silent._

_A girly peal of laughter sounded from the corner of the room. "I'm so glad I shook those Cullens off of my trail so I could get a show like this."_

_I barely got my eyes open in time to see the flaming hair and beautiful face of the female. James' mate, Edward had told me. Victoria. Her black eyes glinted wickedly which let me know that she wouldn't mind a little snack._

_She sped so fast towards me, my fevered mind couldn't keep up. Suddenly, my calf was at an odd angle in her dainty hands._

_I finally screamed._

My heart pounded in fear from the memory as I weaved through the trees. I'd be totally screwed if I somehow bled. She would instantly know where I was.

Half of an hour passed when I finally landed in the river. I'd have to walk in it for some distance, walk off of it, and then switch directions back down the stream. I would abandon it after a day's sprint; I would be too tired to continue once my ploy was executed.

It was a bit of a weak trick; the monster would know that I would be heading straight towards the water. The best I could do was find as many sources as I could and not be consistent. The faintest sounds told me that she was still in pursuit.

Two days passed and I finally lost her, at least out of my hearing. _I had to sleep._ Why my gift didn't work on vamps was beyond me.

I settled my back against a tree. Almost immediately, sleep overcame me.

_"Bellaaa... So nice of you to make this easy for me." That oddly girly voice sent chills down my spine._

I jolted. She wasn't there. Only the stars seemed to know where I was. I touched Paul's fur, now crafted into an anklet for safe-keeping, and guilt colored my mind briefly.

It had to be for his own good, right?


	19. The Unlikely Duo

Emily's house was absolutely silent as everyone entered. Embry couldn't help the puzzled frown that marred his face. What the hell had just happened? Sure, he was aware of Jared's knowledge and everyone else's, but understanding everything was still odd.

To recap, Paul's imprint and Jake's crush was some mix of human and something else, and she'd just beat the shit out of her brother who they hadn't known existed. Bella wanted to break the sacred imprint bond and there was some threat they'd whispered about named Medora? She just ran away from all of them and now the brother was in their custody?

Embry's head hurt, but he tightened his grip on Drayer nonetheless.

"Easy there." Drayer warned. He sounded completely calm. Way more on top of things than Embry felt he himself was.

Embry looked down at the smaller man. Sam had ordered that he be brought back to be questioned. Emily was called and told to stay with Sue until this threat was figured out. Embry suspected that Bella's brother had more control over the situation than they did.

His heartbeat was even.

"Sit him down here, guys." Sam demanded. He was already sitting at the beat-up kitchen table.

Embry nodded at Jared, and together they set Drayer at the table. Jake was in the corner of the room with his arms crossed. He had been woken up when Bella ran away. The look on his face was murderous.

The alpha looked Bella's brother over thoughtfully. Sam wasn't one to overlook details, especially those of a man who had threatened a pack member.

Jared's neck was red with thin lines that were slowly disappearing.

"Well, now it's time for a game of Twenty Questions?" Drayer asked lazily.

"I would like some answers." Sam responded mildly. He seemed at ease, but Embry knew he was close to doling out the worst possible punishment; Paul was outside tearing trees apart and for once Jake and him were on the same page.

Embry, ever the pacifist, wanted to just leave the house and go to bed. Jared was, after all, _alive_.

"I'd be more than willing to answer. I need to get out of here and save my dumbass sister."

Embry internally jumped in joy. If this could end peacefully, then he wouldn't have to help Emily clean up the rubble later.

Sam's voice was dead."Well, go ahead. Why the hell did you trespass on our land and attack us." It wasn't a question.

A serene, innocent smile spread across the stranger's face. Embry resisted the urge to rub his eyes because of how much the man looked like Bella at that moment. "It's really not that complicated. I wanted to see if your Paul was good enough for my baby sister."

The kitchen grew absolutely silent.

Sam blinked once. Twice. "You're actually an idiot."

"If love makes one an idiot, then I am an absolute imbecile." Drayer's smile grew bigger. "And your boy passed!"

A growl ripped through the room. "How the hell did that jackass pass?" Jake demanded in disbelief.

Sam shot an exasperated look at Jake. "Is this really the time for your high school bullshit?" He waved a hand at Jared. "He was held _hostage_."

"Sorry boss, but this is a lot to handle. The mechanics of what this loon just said literally makes no sense."

Jared was now indignant. "Really, Jake? What happened to bros before hoes?"

"Bella is in no way a h-"

Jake's idiotic statement was interrupted by Drayer clearing his throat politely. "Can I finish telling you all what is going on?"

"Yes, that'd make my fucking day." Sam grumbled.

Embry couldn't help but note the irony of the two siding with one another.

"Basically, Bella and I have an evil grandmother who is trying to use my sister as a pawn to further her cause of genocide. Bella ran to take the heat off of Forks."

"What the fuck?" This time it was Embry who swore.

Drayer ignored him. "I must confess, the injured human that my sister described to me is most likely because of Medora. She in all probability wishes to use Bella to take out our mother."

Sam was now razor-focused. "Medora is your grandmother? Why would hurting Harry help her get to Bella?"

"Yes, she is, at least by blood. In actuality, we have had no relationship with her our entire lives. As for why the attack on one of yours, Bella would be able to tell once she touched Harry that our kind was responsible. Think of it like a war flag or intimidation tactic to draw Bella out. Medora grew tired of waiting." Drayer spoke quickly, as if annoyed that he had to explain something so obvious.

"Why does your grandmother want to take out Renee?" Jake asked, momentarily distracted from his imagined girl problems.

Bella's brother sighed. Grim lines settled around his mouth. All of a sudden, he gave the impression of being much, much older than he appeared. The words poured out choppily and flat. "Renee Crosse is the General of all fae in North America. Her being Medora's daughter is just an unhappy coincidence. If Mother falls, then the people will be leaderless and easier to switch over into Medora's camp. Any more questions before I make a request?"

 _What the fuck is a fa-_ Embry's thought was interrupted.

The door barged open and a shaking Paul entered through. Embry felt himself grow pale at the sight of him; he looked like the tree had somehow won in their dispute. Blood with no apparent source decorated his bare chest. It had dried in streaks.

"Where is she?" He asked.

Embry's stomach dropped when there wasn't any anger present. He sounded subdued, dead. Like a man with nothing to lose. It was by far the most out of character that any of the pack had ever seen him. Embry suspected that it was this side of Paul that had been buried beneath anger and sarcasm for an eternity. After all, a guy with not a single family member left alive, other than a convict that used to religiously torture him, had very little to treasure or look forward to.

The others had always resented Paul for placing such a strong emphasis on college and the prospects of money. Embry had always possessed the good sense to be thankful.

"Are you ready to go get her, tiger?" Drayer drawled. "I would like to get on her trail with some backup."

Eyes devoid of light gazed at the odd, small man in the center of the room. "Sure, let's go." He looked around the room. "Keep everyone safe, guys."

Sam looked at Drayer pointedly. "Paul, I don't know if we can let him go. He's already proven himself a threat."

Paul appeared slightly aggravated at not being allowed to leave. "I'm taking him away from LaPush. If you think that this guy was in any way forced to sit in that chair, you're wrong, Sam. We either need to all pile on him now and kill him or we need to release him." A grunt of pain suddenly escaped him and Embry's pack brother clutched at his bloody chest as though someone had stabbed it. "Let me go make sure that girl is safe." The last sentence was a plea.

Long silence followed as Sam assessed Paul with worried eyes. He then nodded silently.

Embry avoided a yelp escaping him when he suddenly felt Drayer easily go against the force that Jared and him had been applying on his shoulders. Embry and Jared both removed their hands at once.

The small, lean man smiled brightly around the room as he stood and stretched casually. "Thank you for the assessment, Paul. I knew I liked you for a reason. Alpha, I have one favor to ask you before I leave."

"What?" Sam snapped.

The jubilant personality left Drayer. He was a different man. "There's a woman I will be sending here for protection. She's human. She is special. Please treat her like one of your own." He bowed formally at the end of his request.

"We will." Sam sighed.

Nothing was left to be said. Drayer and Paul exited the kitchen. The door slammed anti-climatically.

Embry jumped when Sam slammed his hand on the table. He stood up abruptly and got a beer out of the fridge.

"If any of you fuckers even think about imprinting, you're getting neutered. Too much trouble. Fuck..." Sam chugged the beer and headed back out the door. "Let's get back to the border and see if the red-headed bitch is still around."

—-

Anna Crosse arrived at Forks Hospital tired. She had scored first class tickets to Washington within a minute of talking to Bell. It'd been too long since she'd seen her little cousin, and she sure wasn't letting that girl slip away without a fight.

They had lost more than Ben and Jack that fateful night. They had also lost Bella.

Anna still couldn't quite bring herself to forgive her aunt Renee for allowing Bella to leave home. She should've been with her family, the ones who knew her best. If given enough time, she knew that the little girl whom she had seen grow up before her very eyes would return. After all, Anna, to her very core, was a healer. A very talented one at that.

"Baby, stop worrying. She'll be okay." A warm hand grazed hers, startling her out of her revelry. Nate was the only one who could do that to her.

"Yeah, Bella's tough. I just can't wait to see her." Evie's naturally loud voice pierced through the air. Her eyes, copied directly from their mother, were a piercing violet against the serene white scheme of the closest airport to Forks.

"Let's not get our hopes too far up." The caution unwillingly poured from her mouth. She knew that Bella was scared, had heard that fear in her voice on the phone. She ran from hurt ever since fate had punished her so cruelly when Ben died. Anna knew that fae normally perished immediately or went insane after losing a mate, but she attributed Bella's half-human side for her survival.

Isabella Swan was always the exception to the rules.

A little while later, Evie whistled through her teeth right before they arrived at Fork's Hospital. "Sis, they really worked this guy over." Her eyes were still merry despite the gory image that her mind had displayed. She was still excited to see Bella and it overruled everything else.

As Evie was only sixteen years old, Anna had a hard time relating to her often cold reactions. The exposure to violence was at an absolute minimum in the time Drayer and her were teenagers. The clan had been isolated from humans and their wars then.

"Stop." Evie's arm flung out to stop Anna from entering the hospital main entrance. Violet eyes were narrowed suspiciously. "There are people still in the room with the man. Two of them are those shapeshifters that Dray asked me to keep tabs on."

"Can you do anything about them?" Nate asked, his jaw stiff.

Evie's dainty nose wrinkled up. "Yeah, I can put them asleep for awhile as long as they don't know how to block magic. Which from my time at the crystal, I can almost promise they don't." With that, she walked back to the rental car and sat cross-legged on top of the hood.

Her eyes slid slowly closed within two and a half minutes after muttering some incantations under her breath.

Sweat began to drip down her face and time drifted lazily by as Nate and Anna flocked either side of the small girl. Nate's body bounced impatiently in a trademark inability to sit still. This continued for a total of twenty minutes before her eyes snapped open. "Done. Their minds were _strong_." She sounded mildly impressed.

They quickly went up several floors and to the room number that Ester indicated. The amount of sick people made Anna's hands itch, but she reminded herself that most of the humans' bodies were capable of healing themselves. Interference on her part would only do needless harm.

Light snores were the first noticeable element in Harry Clearwater's room. Three people, all in chairs around the injured man's bed, were asleep. A young boy was in the middle supporting two women, one younger and one older, on his shoulders. Judging off of the age differences and looks, they were Harry's children and his wife. Dark circles carved into each family member's face, highlighting the stress and grief that Medora had caused them.

The grave, cursed hurt coming from Harry supported his family's feelings. Rage filtered through Anna and then dissipated. She would take that agony away from him.

No longer cognizant of her little sister or mate, Anna laid a hand on the ravaged skin of Harry. She focused on him and a rush of information from his body's systems made themselves known to her. Medora's spell was interwoven in a cruel, clinical signature; it hampered the body's ability to heal itself. Anna took a deep breath and studied the situation for a second more before getting to work.

As Anna healed, Nate's phone went off in its default ringtone. "Yes?" He answered it with his eyes still on his mate, who was too far gone to notice the disruption.

"Hey, Nate." Drayer greeted. "Thought I'd check in before I lost signal. I am with Bell's guy and we are in Wyoming. Bella went rogue and I'm pretty sure Medora's after her for some reason so we are kinda trying to fix that?"

That was a little too much too process all at once. " _What_?" Evie and Nate were in complete sync.

"Oh hey, Evie." Drayer said cheerfully. They heard dark swears in a stranger's deep voice in the background. "So anyway, help out those shapeshifters while we are gone, I might need backup if things go to shit."

"Hey twinkle-fuck, I just smelled some vamps really close, so stop dicking around." That same deep voice cursed at their cousin. Drayer laughed and then loud static took over the call quality.

The phone disconnected. Evie and Nate stared at each other balefully.


	20. Captured

**Paul's POV**

Each step to an unknown future burned through the mountainous rocks underneath my human feet. We were impossibly high up.

My body complained that Bella was not within my grasp. It pissed me off that it needed someone who clearly didn't want me. A perfect, fucked-up dilemma for an equally wretched excuse of a werewolf. My self-worth was a treasure that had been guarded against time and circumstance, yet one girl was ruining any shred of pride that I had left.

Perhaps the most terrible realization was that very little of me cared if she ever accepted me as a mate. She just had to be near me and safe. The imprint molded me into a creature of servitude and selflessness. So weak and fragile and vulnerable.

I wanted to be mad at her, but my body seemed incapable of it.

Drayer ran lazily next to me in silence. It had been almost a day since we had left Washington. Luckily, human laws did not bound us to human transportation to get from place to place. Apparently evil Grandma had a dime thrown in just about every corner of the States; If we just so happened to be in a taxi passing a stop light too fast and a picture was snapped, we would have company.

Not that I would've minded since it was almost like I was by myself. We had traveled in complete silence ever since we had hightailed it out of La Push.

The obnoxious man who'd held my pack brother underneath his sword seemed to no longer exist. The joking smile was gone, the talkative, carefree dimensionless charisma was a mere figment of my thoughts. The guy was perfectly content to leave me alone with my internal battle against my biological need to love his sister. Fucking freak.

I was the first one to break. "So... what do you do for a living?" The man looked to be about twenty-five to thirty; even supernaturals had jobs, right?

"I am the spymaster for our clan."

 _A clan? Wasn't that like white person talk for a tribe?_ Scotland was just about the only specific location I was sure where that word was used. "How large is your clan?"

"Quite a few." Was all Drayer said. His face remained closed off.

Frustration drove away my curiosity. "Can't you or your sister just answer a question already? Your bullshit is already causing a fuck ton of trouble."' _For my tribe. For me._ I left those words unsaid.

The near stranger was aware of it. Guilt crossed his face momentarily, quickly followed by aggravation. "My sister is blameless in all of this." He said slowly, "She's been nothing but punished for her blood from a young age, and she chose none of it. As for the trouble, I'm trying to make it go away, although it _is_ your responsibility too so it's only right that you help me."

A growl slipped through my human mouth. A deer ran away from the noise. "How?" The word slipped through my teeth.

Drayer slowed down and looked at me in disappointment. "She's your soulmate, right?"

The word seemed so different from how the pack thought of it. Like the bond was a two-way street. "She's supposed to be." Imprints weren't as controlled by the bond as wolves were.

He laughed openly at my response. "She thinks she is doing her best by you."

"How the fuck is running away and leaving me out to dry ' _in my best interest_ '?" The words flowed out of my mouth. Women were so confusing.

"She has already lost a soulmate. She probably thinks you'll die too."

I halted in the field. "She had another soulmate. More than one."

Drayer nodded. "Most fae have a soulmate somewhere out there. His name was Ben and they grew up together. Vamps under Medora's control killed him when they were fourteen." There was a heavy note of grief in his voice.

I felt light-headed. "How can that happen more than once?"

"We don't know. Bella really should not have recovered from it as well as she has. We thought it was because she is a half-breed. But anyway, there you have it." He clearly didn't want to discuss it any longer.

The next six hours were difficult. I knew I had to change back into wolf form to keep up with Drayer at this point, but I didn't want the others in my head. Not right now when nothing no longer made sense. I gave up once I finally fell behind from the guy; this human body was not meant for this.

I shifted and blissful silence met me. We were now about a state away. The pack's mental link _did_ have a distance limit. Cool. A move to Hawaii was in the books for me now.

Our odd journey had now lasted a day, a night, and another half of a day. The afternoon sun seemed unnecessary when all I wanted to do was sleep. Drayer's face impossibly paled a shade lighter from exertion while a sheen of sweat assaulted my nose. So I guess not even the fae are immune to B.O.

He stopped and we rested against a nearby giant pine tree once we were close to a rural town in Wyoming. At the end of the town limits was the Rocky Mountain Range. Drayer told me that Bella had some buddies in Kentucky from another "clan". They would be able to break the imprint, apparently. But Drayer didn't think she would make it that far with evil Grannie on her trail. We would have to speed up our pace somehow.

The spymaster flipped open his phone.

"Hey, Nate." The fucker was making a fucking phone call while Bella still needed saved? Some dude responded in return. "Thought I'd check in before I lost signal. I am with Bell's guy and we are in Wyoming. Bella went rogue and I'm pretty sure Medora's after her for some reason so we are kinda trying to fix that?"

Even the people he called seemed to think that he was nuts. "What?" Unfamiliar voices chorused. Now a female voice could be heard.

A scent hit my nose and I shifted back. "Goddamn it!" Of course, we would have company.

"Oh hey, Evie." He continued on, ignoring me. "So anyway, help out those shapeshifters while we are gone, I might need backup if things go to shit."

"Hey twinkle-fuck, I just smelled some vamps really close, so stop dicking around." I fumed, still buck-ass naked. Did this guy have no sense of urgency?

Drayer laughed and put his phone up. I shifted back so I would be less vulnerable. "Alright wolf, you are going to have to be sneaky. Can you manage it?"

A growl ripped through me. I did _not_ need baby-talked to.

"Keep up if you can." With that, a bullet took off in front of me.

Being quiet and trying to maintain that level of speed took up all my concentration. I was not the slowest one in the pack, but sprinting was definitely not my speciality. We hit the ascent of the Rocky Mountains in under a minute, and we were only out in the open for the briefest stint. Nonetheless, the acrid scent of vamp stayed near.

I could hear crashing behind us. _It wouldn't be enough._

Suddenly, I was up in a tree. _What?_ Drayer had picked me up and was now hanging me up by my scruff in a gigantic tree. It took all of my self-control to not move and snap at him. We were absolutely silent. The crashing behind us stopped.

"How the fuck did their scents disappear?" A lilting voice cursed. She was right underneath us, an impossible amount of leaves obscuring us from sight. That dead scent wafted upward.

"They're close, babe. We did not imagine that stench. Although that fae smells _good_..." The voice was different, yet similar. My spine instinctually stiffened. It couldn't be. But he had called her "babe".

_Sobs filled the small hallway. I was balled up in a small corner down it, tucked out of sight from the adults. The tears were not my own. My heart thudded in my ears._

_"H-how could you?" Mama cried. She was talking so high and whiny. I knew Dad didn't like it._

_Normally he would tell her that and then send her away. But this time was different. Dad was sorry. "Look, babe, you just made me so upset and I was drunk. She didn't mean anything, I swear..."_

_The sobs intensified._

_"Goddamn it, I apologized, didn't I? It's not like you don't whore around!" Dad screamed at the end. He sounded infuriated. A hitting sound echoed down the hallway. I was the one crying then._

He couldn't be the one talking to that vamp under a blue sky. He was in prison until death released him. That was something I needed to be true. Also, I smelled two vamps. My old man was a human.

"Let's get everyone gathered up again." Red hair glinted through the branches that hid us. Victoria. So that's the bitch after Bella.

The sound of a burner phone getting flipped open filled the air. "We lost the trail. Meet us all here."

"I was just about to call actually, Victoria." A female vamp said through the speaker. "I had a vision. They're right above you. Watch your head, the fae is a better fighter. We will be there soon."

The words were spoken at vamp speed and the consequences happened just as fast. Drayer dropped me on those fuckers like a bomb. I didn't make a sound and aimed for the red-haired bitch. Just like always, she knew just how to dodge.

She kicked a nearby tree and sailed above my head. Heading straight towards Drayer. A rumble settled through my chest in irritation. Why wouldn't she just _die_?

A vamp, one that smelled particularly foul, waited for me at the bottom of the forest floor. His eyes were a brighter crimson than the usual vamp's. His skin held the tone of our people's and he had my profile, something I hadn't observed in over a decade.

John Lahote. As though he had beaten it into me, my heart thudded a familiar drum of panic. He was smirking as he looked me over. The only comfort for me being that at least my wish was granted and he was dead.

_Fate is such a bitch._

"Hey son." He grinned at me, and his teeth glinted white with venom. Despite his immortality, he was older now and he was frozen as a pathetic prison bitch with wrinkles to boot.

I circled him, ready to tear and obliterate. Victoria and Drayer fought in the trees. I heard the red-head laugh.

John playfully lunged at me. A boot crushed into my side. He was strong, stronger than any other vamp I had ever fought. My ribs cracked and repaired.

He stepped out of my counter-attack. Maybe prison taught him how to beat more than just women and children. He didn't escape the second time and I had his head in my jaws. Just when I was about to end it, I was thwarted. White hands shot around my jaws and forced them open. John shot out of the way.

"Good job, Jazz!" A girl cheered. I heard Drayer shout in alarm and I was thrown down the mountain side. It hurt.

My eyes, barely able to remain open, saw Drayer fighting a small figure. Black and white, a small pixie-like vamp with an insane way of moving. Like literally insane. She seemed too comfortable fighting Drayer, who was also contending with Victoria too. She seemed to be playing with him, like his moves were never a surprise.

 _Vamps have gifts._ Bella had told me that. The pixie's hand shot into Drayer's rib cage and tore flesh out. What a monster.

Cowboy boots then covered my view. "My wife says I can't hurt ya, that the old fae bitch won't like it." A Southern twang assaulted my ear-drums. I struggled to get up on all fours, but I was too wobbly.

A miracle happened then. A crunching sound occurred, a body fell that belonged to the boots, and a familiar blade protruded from the strange vamp's chest.

I could see a bloody Drayer with a hand extended. He had given up his weapon to protect me. "RUN!" The words tore out of a bleeding mouth. Victoria's leg was horrifically disfigured underneath his hands. She screamed.

All three vamps, including John, surrounded him. They were cautiously restraining him. The wound was horrible.

Strength flowed through me and I fled. I ran and ran until I knew that Bella's brother hadn't done something so stupid in vain.

Because I _knew_.

Drayer hadn't done that for me; he wanted his little sister safe. I had to save Bella.


	21. Trouble

**Bella's POV**

"Need a ride, cutie?" Smoke was blown into my face, and the truck driver who had stopped while I'd been thumbing for a ride eyed me up and down. He wasn't a man I wanted a ride from, that was sure.

_I would take Mike Newton's flirting any day over this._

Hitchhiking was my best chance of arriving in Kentucky before Drayer and not getting caught by Medora's people. I shuddered to think of Charlie's reaction if he knew what I was up to.

He smelled decently human, and I'd probably be fine as long as he didn't pull a gun. A bullet to my head was the biggest threat from a human. "Sure." I smiled brightly at him. I climbed up into the passenger seat, deftly buckling the thick seatbelt across my chest.

The truck driver only needed a firm bitch glare, one I had learned from Rosalie, to stop touching my thigh. After that, the radio was turned up and I relaxed as much as possible. The man was steering in the right direction for the bluegrass state and the plan was to hop off once he started straying too far.

Hours passed before that happened. We reached a gas station that looked like a halfway decent place to freshen up at. "Thank you so much, sir." I reached for my wallet and pulled out a twenty. It was the least I could do.

"Call me, Mac." The man dimpled unexpectedly at me. He waved his hand at the money. "And that's not necessary. Helping a cute girl out is more than enough."

I walked into the gas station, thoughtful. Humans were always so unpredictable. Typically a fae's initial outward appearance was as true as a measure of character as anything. Except Drayer, who was as an expert liar; He embodied the wordy fae stereotype held by so many other supernaturals.

I scrounged my wallet for money when I realized I hadn't counted for awhile. Five hundred total. I had always kept a cash stash of hundred dollar bills hidden behind my driver's license. Mom had insisted on the habit as a rule when she allowed me to live with Charlie.

The cash could keep me steady for at least three months if I changed my eating patterns. It would hurt, but starvation affected me far less than it does a human. Squirrel and a fire was always an option too.

I bought a deli sandwich at the counter and was just thanking the cashier when the unbearable pain hit. A smile as the quarters and pennies hit my hand was managed. I made good time to a bathroom stall before puking my guts out.

_Paul._

He was in trouble. I began to hyperventilate. A hit to my ribs swayed me. What. The. Fuck. Who could hurt him so badly while he was with the pack? I felt tremendous pressure in my jaw area before it alleviated and a rush of sensation exploded everywhere else.

A whimper escaped me. My spine bowed and nearly snapped in half.

And then, just like that, it was gone. He was still alive, but our hearts were pounding in adrenaline before the connection snapped. I was myself again.

My need to see him overthrew me as I stood up. He wasn't safe. I hadn't done the right thing. He was going to die with or without me. I'd been so wrong. Suddenly my words to Ben slapped me in the face in a sudden realization.

_"Would you be able to stand it? Not being able to protect me?"_

I'd said that to him that horrible day. The agony of standing to the wayside while he died had destroyed me. And I was forcing that same possibility onto Paul, but without even the opportunity to make his own decision. Horror colored my sudden perception of the idiotic distance that I had put between us.

Paul had left LaPush to find me. It's what I would've done four years ago if there hadn't been small children involved. He wasn't the type to give up. He was in danger because of _me_.

I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and rushed to the closest pay phone like a loon. A location, some coordinates is what I needed. And I knew just who to call. She would have the phone in her hand by now anyway since I had made my decision.

"Alice." I forced the name out of my throat, incredibly nervous to ask a favor of my best vamp friend. She had never understood why I hadn't wanted her brother.

"Bella!" Alice's voice, even over the horrible connection, chimed like bells.

"I need help."

The laugh that followed unsettled me slightly. "Oh I know, girl! He is actually in Wisconsin, you better hurry. He's hurt." The concern in her voice soothed my stomach. "Near Jackson, Wyoming."

"Thanks, Alice."

The phone disconnected and I prepared to change direction.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••

"He... _what_?" Sam asked.

Billy Black could hardly keep the smile off his face. "Harry is better. They have no clue how." Wonder could hardly keep off of his face.

Sam finally allowed relief to course through his bones at the news. It wasn't a joke. Harry, a beloved tribe member, wasn't going to die.

The door outside of the hospital, where Billy had requested Sam's presence, burst open and a jubilant Seth ran out. His face was brighter than it had been for the past week. His feet were bouncing in a rhythmic buzz.

"Guys... his skin..." Seth wobbled out, "it's _healed_."

The hairs on the back of Sam's neck stood up at the strange phenomena. There was more than just leeches and wolves out there. In other words, it would be a miracle for Harry's recovery to _just_ be a miracle.

"We come in peace, wolves." Sam's head shot up to see three people walking towards them. They all held their palms out in a non-threatening gesture. Two females and a guy. The youngest girl, one that looked around fifteen or sixteen, had vibrant violet eyes that went beyond the standard for contact lenses.

"Fuck." Sam swore. What the hell else could be happening?

The large man stopped approaching. Familiar swirl designs decorated up his neck and peeked out onto his arms through his T-shirt. A fae. "We come in peace. Anna," he jerked his thumb sideways at a young woman beside him, "healed your guy. We are Bella's cousins. May we ask if Éponine is safe?"

Sam looked at Billy to make the call. Was it safe to take their word for it? Yet... Anna held a strong familial resemblance to Bella just like Drayer had.

The old man sighed wearily. "Before we answer anything, I have a request. Charlie Swan doesn't know where his kid is. There are searches being done everywhere, and I have been sworn to secrecy. On behalf of him as his friend, can one of you tell him the truth or find some way to contact her?"

Seth had stopped his ceaseless bouncing and was watching the strangers alongside Sam and Billy.

The strange man cleared his throat, and glanced down at the woman, Anna. She nodded thoughtfully. "We will contact Aunt Renee and she can come down to sort this out. She always regretted not telling Charlie and I think this is a perfect time for her. Also, she's worried to death about Bella too. She has sent search parties all over the nation. If a fae spots her, we _should_ have her."

Anna's voice melted what was remaining of Sam and Billy's distrust. It was like honey.

That strange relaxation was destroyed when the teen spoke up. "Can we meet Éponine now?" The girl's blonde curls bounced along with the energetic jump she was doing.

Sam frowned. The girl who was currently staying with him and Emily was a nervous wreck. She was immensely worried about Drayer. She hadn't slept since she arrived in LaPush.

Would meeting the dude's nutty family really help her at _all_?

Anna smiled widely at them suddenly. "I promise I will help her. Poor thing's probably a mess right now."

Éponine reminded Sam of himself whenever he was separated from Emily.

Sam glanced down at Billy. "What do you think?"

He snorted. "Just make sure they call Renee to get this shit-storm sorted. If they were enemies, they would have just attacked. I'm worried about Paul and Bella."

Sam left with the strange group and the calm that had addled Billy's brain suddenly receded. Like a spell had been lifted.

"Uh, Chief?" Seth asked as Billy examined the odd occurrence.

The young teen leaned forward and whispered sheepishly. "Don't tell Sam, but I think I imprinted. He threatened to castrate the next guy who imprinted." He stared intently at the tribal chief with a pleading expression.

"Fuck." Billy swore. _Not again._

••••••••••••••••••••

**Bella's POV**

I nearly made it to the town of Jackson by nightfall. I had abandoned my tedious caution of going undetected. It did not matter anymore until Paul was safe within my sight.

No more secrets. I would tell him everything and ask him to forgive me. We could figure it all out together.

I paid the taxi driver and stepped out once we reached the middle of the town. This place was surrounded by wilderness, much like LaPush and Forks were. Only this place attracted tourists.

The Snow King Mountain was on the outskirts. I headed towards it, something in my gut pulling me in that direction. Everything else felt wrong, like I was being watched.

A sudden rush of intuition saved my life when a vamp suddenly charged at me in an alley that I had been cutting through. I jumped backwards and my knife fell into my hand. His teeth barely missed my throat. Blood-red ruby eyes and familiar features met me. He looked so much like Paul that it hurt.

"Hello." He smiled at me winningly. I realized then that I was surrounded by three other vamps, all ruby eyes trained on me. No, make it four vampires. A pair of golden eyes, inky black hair, and dainty features were there too.

_Alice._

The betrayal swept me for a second before coming back to the Earth.

Alice frowned sadly at me. "Sorry Bella, but your grandmother has a way of convincing people." She gestured between us and shook her head ruefully. "I truthfully did not befriend you to betray you. I'm sorry about your brother as well."

My mind went numb at the idea of this witchy little vampire being apologetic about something being done to Drayer. My brother.

She was suddenly a streak towards my throat. I swallowed a scream and prepared to fight back. But I knew fighting and winning against someone with Alice's gift was almost senseless. I mentally prepared myself.

She never made it there. A gray wolf sailed through the air past the ring of vampires. He got Alice's head between his jaws and just like that my friend could not longer hurt me. Ever again.

I grabbed the wolf's fur instinctually and skillfully kicked the man that looked like Paul in the face when he reached for us. The wolf ran past my attackers in a blur.

We were very close to the Snow King Mountain. That's where Paul ran. And then he was over it and we kept fleeing.

It wasn't until much later that he stopped. I rolled off his back and landed on the soft earth. He changed back and put shorts on. I met his dark, angry eyes while a dumb smile bloomed on my face.

I threw my arms around him in joy. " _Paul_." He was safe.


	22. Search

**Bella's POV**

Guilt shot through me as I realized what I had instinctually done. Paul remained stiff, unresponsive in my embrace. I hastily let go. Now that I was no longer a vigilante in the name of trying to break our bond, things were awkward. I couldn't stop the blush from having his righteously angry eyes focused on me.

I had been a hypocritical moron. But that wasn't the most important issue to address. "Can you hear anything?"

Paul swiveled his head around carefully. I remained still. "We should be good." His words were a harsh admission to our situation.

We could die out here.

"Why didn't you stay?" This was my family's mess.

He snorted ruefully and rolled his eyes. "Would you be able to stay put if I left with a bunch a vamps on my tail?"

"No. I turned back because I kinda realized that on my own." I admitted. Frustration ran through as Ben entered my head. "This isn't easy."

He took two steps, closing the distance between us. "Really, Swan? You think any of this shit would be easy? I explode into a wolf to fight the undead and you are a fucking hybrid fairy."

I blinked. "I am most definitely _not_ half-fairy." I huffed.

Paul looked amused for a split second before the serious expression returned. "Bella, we need to talk about this," he gestured around the forest, "mess before anything else."

Alice's apology ran through my mind and my blood went cold. Drayer wasn't accounted for. "He went with you to find me, didn't he?"

"Yes."

"Where is he?" I didn't want it to be true.

"Four vamps were trailing us, one was that little bitch that I pried off of you. She was the reason why we couldn't get away. It was freaky, as if..." Paul trailed off, unable to complete the thought.

 _Alice_. "She is a Cullen. Her ability is to see the future."

He growled. "Well it made the fight that much harder. I was... preoccupied by one of them and Drayer was ganged up on. He sacrificed himself so I could get away. I think he's captured now, but he was hurt pretty badly."

Speechless, I gripped my stomach as the sick feeling took over. Minutes passed. "Do you have a cell phone?" I croaked out.

"No."

"We need to get a hold of Mom. Anyone that has a chance in hell of tracking." I babbled hopelessly.

"What will she do to him?" Paul asked tersely.

A million dollar question. "I don't know. She hasn't bothered with our clan ever since the attack..." We stood in silence for a moment when a terrible idea struck. "We need to get in contact with home."

The birds chirping and shining sun contrasted against the guilt filling me. Paul's eyebrows shot up. "Sam won't sacrifice wolves for this. Our people cannot be vulnerable to attack, especially since Harry is injured."

"That's not what I meant." I snapped. I drew a calming breath. "Éponine, Drayer's mate, might be able to give us clues. If he is as injured as you say he is or if he's smart enough to push his feelings onto her, she will get glimpses from his eyes."

Paul nodded curtly. He still wasn't looking at me the same way as when he had held me the night that I ran from him. The manner in which he held himself now reminded me of the way that he regarded Jake. Cold and condescending. It hurt. "We go to the next town then and hope we don't get fucked by vamps again."

I politely turned my back so he could get undressed. The heat radiating onto my back was the only sign that I received that he was done. A massive wolf, a form of Paul that I was familiar with, circled me pensively. He then trotted to meet me face to face and lowered his entire body while looking at me expectedly.

The message hit my brain a second later. He was faster and we were in a hurry. A blush filled my cheeks, but I swung my leg around his back nonetheless.

We had to save my brother. When we were done, I would somehow convince Paul to forgive me.

••••••••••••••••••

Drayer was soaked in blood and God knows what else. The shackles, cursed with magic to make him weaker, dragged the stone floor of some fortress and location he hadn't been allowed to see. They had blinded him in an unnecessarily gory fashion, which he'd make them pay tenfold for when he escaped.

The pain corrected his assumptions. _If_ he escaped. His lovely grandmother had never surrendered one of his spies when captured. Their bodies were typically strewn in whichever area his Guard was stationed. He could only imagine how he would be displayed if the worst was to come. Drayer stumbled over an uneven portion of the floor.

" _Keep moving_. Or else I'll let Victoria here take a bite." The Southern twang accompanied a sharp kick to his side.

The little monster who had nearly killed him had left the scarred vamp in charge of him. Before he'd been blinded, Drayer could tell the military experience the vamp had due to his posture. Which was unlucky because he could've escaped if left with just the newborn vamp or the redhead, or even both.

Had it been just those idiotic two, it would've been simple. The redhead was still infuriated with the death of her insatiably thirsty mate while the newborn was still uncontrollable and emotional. They were weaknesses that he would've exploited quite easily.

But the inky-haired little bitch had already seen to that possibility.

_"Down." She demanded impetuously. She held a chunk of flesh between her pale, long claws and Drayer finally fell to his knees. Victoria laughed coldly to the side as though enjoying a good show._

_That fucking **stung** a bit. His arms were automatically held back by the newborn, whose strength was greater momentarily due to the vamp's own life blood being consumed by his body. Disgusting._

_Little, dainty hands lifted Drayer's chin up, forcing him to meet black, soulless eyes. "You really do look like her." The bell of a voice chimed with sorrow._

_Memory jogged and he realized that this was Alice Cullen. A vamp who Bella had told him was her first friend who had helped the fear go away since Ben died._

_He spat blood at the bitch. A bad decision in hindsight. A snarl ripped out of her mouth and Drayer could suddenly feel the newborn vamp licking his blood of the back of his neck. Rage filled him and he snapped his head back to head-butt his assailant. His hands freed and szolo slithered over his skin to look for a weapon, but to no avail. He had saved Bella's boy for a very steep price._

_"Jazz, hold your breath!" The pixie spat out. She grabbed the fresh wound and Drayer screamed in agony. "And get this idiot away from him."_

_A slender man with honey-blonde hair walked calmly to the scene and efficiently handled the crazed newborn. His skin reflected millions of scars, more than any Drayer had ever seen before on a vamp. A chill ran through him. He started accessing the weak links of his captors as calmly as possible._

_Alice examined the fae closely before her eyes flickered to the back of her head. "Ahh... you're a smart one. Too bad Medora thought to send me out." She still seemed remorseful about it. "Jazz and Victoria will stay with him after I get this blood off of him. Jazz is in charge. I'm about to get a call from Bella and will set up a trap."_

_Fury ran through Drayer when he remembered this bitch could see the future._

_"Yes, ma'am." 'Jazz' answered in amusement._

And all this is how Drayer Crosse was being dragged to the famed prison cells of Medora Crosse. Thoughts of Éponine, a mate he had just been getting know, transformed to horror when he realized that his girl would have to endure the same pain.

••••••••••••••••••••

**Paul's POV**

We reached a pay phone by midnight and she called a cousin's phone. The same people Drayer had been talking to right before shit hit the fan. Due to that and a patched-in call with Bella's mom, we now had a lot more resources to rescue him.

"I'll have some mages zap you in." Renee was understandably upset, but less so than I would've expected from her son's capture.

A familiar chill ran through me and I stopped listening to the phone call or the rabbit.

 _"Have her hang up the phone and get away now. More have caught your scent."_ He was back. His ghostly mouth twisted bitterly. _"Actually, grab it from her first and tell the General that Medora's compound is actually in Washington state first."_

I did what he said, ignoring Bella's shout of surprise. I then hung it up and slung the rabbit over my shoulder. We had to get out of here again. Fuck, how the hell did a Grandma get this much man power?

A quick sprint finally got us to the forest and then I threw her up into the air and changed into a wolf. Like a little monkey, Bella landed with an _oof_ onto my back and clung as we sped through the forest. Casper the friendly ghost stayed with us. He remained standing in place, but every tree in my peripheral showed a not-yet-grown boy staring longingly at Bella. Freaky.

A whisper of information to my ears, I stored it away for later. He only dissipated when the barest scent of vamp left my noise. It suddenly occurred to me that this grandma could send a fae after us. And if I based all threats off of scent, we would get caught. Bella and Drayer smelled like ordinary humans to me.

I finally phased back when morning hit, we'd made progress towards Washington. The apparent source of fae activity and all current issues in our lives. Hawaii was in the books, I'd get my luau on.

Bella's alert face looked at me in frustration. "What the hell was _that_? How'd you know where Medora was?"

My anger for her running away still wasn't quite resolved. "How did I find you when you got attacked earlier?"

She clearly hadn't thought of it before. Her face went slack with surprise. "You followed the vamps when they took my brother?"

"Yeah, they almost killed me without breaking a sweat but somehow I followed them _after_ Drayer sacrificed himself for me to get away." The sarcasm was impossible to keep out. "I thought you were smart?"

I jumped when Bella's fist smashed into the tree beside us. "Just tell me, goddamnit! I'm sorry for all of this, I really am, but acting like a complete and utter asshole when we are running for our lives is _not_ smart. If you pettily fuck around anymore with important information while my brother is probably getting tortured right now, _I will kill you_."

Her teary eyes and flushed face were suddenly all I could see.

Shame crashed through me when I realized Bella's eyes now carried dark shadows underneath. She hadn't slept in days and was terrified. No matter what she had done, she didn't deserve getting jerked around with, not on this.

"Sweetie, I saw Ben's ghost after I escaped from the vamps. He told me where to go in time to save you." I told her softly. "He also warned me when we were about to get attacked at the payphone and what to tell your mother."

Bella's entire body wracked with convulsions as she held her midsection with her arms. Like she was trying to hold herself together. Her tattoos moved before my very eyes once more, like they always did in times of extreme emotion. "Even in death, he has to worry about me." Her voice hitched.

I grabbed her and held her as she cried and cried for a love she lost. A boy who deserved her more than I did. Even as a ghost, I could see that knowledge behind his eyes. Pity and envy were an odd combination to hold over such an entity, but I sure as hell felt them over Ben's ghost.

Much later, she fell asleep in my arms while standing up. I lifted her up and put her onto the ground. Her face was still wet from tears.

I kissed her forehead and laid beside her. Keeping watch and planning what we do next was my next goal until she woke up. Hours passed and then Bella started getting vocal in her sleep.

"You always win the pizza, Ben. Can we wager jellybeans next for a handstand contest?" She sounded younger than she usually did. A dazzling smile broke through her pale, dirty skin.

That was a memory. A happy one. I wanted to make ones like that with her too. My arms tightened around her even as the birds began to chirp in the morning Sun.


	23. Revealed

"Charlie, you need to sleep." Ray, Charlie's deputy, stated with no small amount of pity.

He resisted a snort as he sent out a last email request to the police chief of Port Angeles as well as to the state police. If Ray's own daughter was missing, he knew that the man would be far more uncontrollable than he himself was being. Bella had gone missing after visiting Harry with him at the hospital, and nearly forty hours had passed.

Since then, Forks had been turned over with a fine-toothed comb. Although Bella was technically an adult, nothing stopped Charlie's men from keeping an eye out while on duty or actively looking off. It had transformed from a state of concern to panic at this point.

Jake, who Charlie had believed Bella had been staying with until the Harry situation died down, had adamantly sworn that she hadn't returned after leaving for the hospital.

A slight hesitation. He needed to call and let Renee know what was going on. He'd been hoping to find her before causing the same fears to arise in his ex-wife. She was a gentle person whom Bella had been taking care of for years. When stressed, the woman forgot to eat and function. Bella would have a difficult time forgiving him if this ended up being some fluke or whim to run away.

Charlie picked up the phone with a sigh. He was just beginning to dial when the cell phone in his pocket rang. Retrieving it, the caller id seemed to be a mirror of his inner turmoil.

"Renee?" It was difficult to keep his voice steady.

"Hi Charlie," A breathy, nervous voice affirmed his question, "IminForksatthehouse."

His ex-wife spoke so quickly that only Charlie, a man who would never forget her quirks even after all of the years that had passed between them, would understand. "What?" She couldn't be here.

He hadn't seen her in about twelve years, ever since Bella had been grown enough to board a plane on her own. If it weren't for his wedding pictures and Bella's uncanny resemblance, he would've forgotten what caused the horrible ache in his chest every day.

"I'm at the house." She sounded as broken as he felt.

"On my way." Charlie numbly abandoned his desk and walked out of the station. His men did their best to look respectfully away.

The drive home was a blur. He did his best to keep on the road, and not to look at the porch when he made it to the driveway. She was probably standing on it, and he didn't trust himself to look away.

The house that she had abandoned alongside him was neglected. The paint was chipping at the ripe age of eighteen since they'd gone cheap with everything at the beginning of their marriage. It embarrassed him now that he had never moved.

_She had certainly never lingered as he had._

He shakily walked, like a man on death row, to the front porch. She had picked the house for its large porch. The chair swing that she had fallen in love with had been one he had created as a gift for her when Bella was born.

"Hi Charlie." She sat on that swing like he knew she would. She stared at her hands, which were covered in tattoos that he had never seen before.

Charlie stared and couldn't stop. She still looked as young as the day she left. Yet different. Swirling, intricate tattoos decorated slender, tan arms. Chocolate hair, identical to Bella's, cascaded down her back. Gorgeous, vibrant blue eyes finally looked into his and only then did recognition run through his veins. She was still Renee.

She looked unbearably stressed. "I'm sorry to have come here."

Charlie snapped back to reality. "Bella-"

"Is missing, but safe." Renee interrupted. She caught his relieved eyes steadily. "I have a lot to tell you. An apology comes first, however."

Charlie sagged downward into the chair beside Renee. "What could you possibly have to do that for?" Long ago, she had called and talked to him for hours about their relationship. The ups, the downs, and the guilt she felt for the divorce. It had helped Charlie just enough to function, and had been all the apology that he could accept.

A heavy sigh. "I lied to you from the very minute we first met. I'm not what you think I am."

"What?" A young waitress, sweet and kind, paraded to life in his memories. How could that be a lie?

A bitter smile twisted Renee's smooth features. "Well, to start, I'm much older than you."

"A year older isn't that much older." Charlie replied.

"How about five-hundred years older?"

Stress thrummed through his head for a second before possible explanations ran through as to why Renee was saying these impossible things. He'd been a police officer a long time and knew people broke in the kind of circumstances that they were currently in. Namely, Bella was missing.

"I didn't want to have to do this." She sighed dramatically. She got off the swing and faced Charlie with great confidence. Her tattoos began to move rhythmically before his very eyes. A second later, a tiny sliver of metal showed through Renee's palm. It grew enormously long until he realized a large sword was in her hand.

"What the hell?" He yelled as he jumped up in shock.

Renee sat back down and the sword was absorbed back within her skin. "Don't be scared, please. Let me explain so we can get our daughter and everyone else back home."

Charlie controlled his breathing carefully, the key emphasis on Bella grounding him. "You haven't aged since the day we met. You could be Bella's older sister."

She winced at the anger and betrayal in his voice. "I'm not human, but I promise keeping this all a secret from you was _never_ my decision."

Just like that, Charlie's anger and disbelief dissipated. "It doesn't matter anymore." He told her in a hard flat voice. "You and I have been over for a long time now. What's this mean for Bella? _What are you_ and what does this mean for my baby girl?"

Renee looked hurt yet somewhat proud of his words. And just like that, she told him everything. The reason why she left all those years ago with Bella in toll, who she was to her people and how old she was, and Bella's secret life when she wasn't with Charlie. He listened quietly, like the rational and caring man he was, and personally vowed to make everything easier for Bella. No eighteen year girl should have to endure the pain that Bella had.

"She's strong, Charlie. Strong enough to give a full-blood fae a fight if she had to. At the moment, my mother is after both of my children. I'm afraid she succeeded with Drayer." Renee finished sadly.

 _Drayer?_ "You mean your brother?" He recalled the guy's attendance at their wedding. He'd looked just like Renee, similar to the way Bella... oh.

"He is from a relationship I had centuries ago. He was captured a couple of days ago while looking for Bella."

Charlie steeled himself and drew an accepting breath from deep within. He stood jauntily up from the swing. "Well, let's get going then."

Renee blinked at him in confusion. "What?"

"Time to find Bella and then get your boy. So where should we go first to do that?"

She let loose a startled laugh at the man she still loved deep inside her bones. She now knew that the man had moved on far more than she ever had. "LaPush would be a great start."

••••••••••••••••••••••

"Make it stop!" Éponine screamed in agony as she clutched at Nate helplessly. It had begun an hour ago, although she had been sweating profusely and had looked paranoid for the past day. Nate knew Drayer could no longer hide the pain from his mate any longer.

Evie started crying in the corner at this knowledge while the young werewolf who hadn't left her side comforted her.

"Evie, _focus_ on getting that spell _right_ so Anna can knock her out." Nate couldn't help the cold admonishment that escaped him. The poor girl's grip was drawing blood on his arms. Which was difficult for anyone to inflict on a fae, let alone this small female.

"You think this is easy!" The sobbing teen screamed. "Whichever bitch is doing this to Dray is going to _pay_." With that, a flash of blue pervaded the room and Evie collapsed unconscious into Seth's arms.

"Anna." Nate held out Éponine to his wife.

Anna brushed her fingers lightly against the girl's temples and then Éponine stilled from her endless writhing. Her olive complexion recovered from its ghost white tension and she began to snore. Nate allowed his restraining arms to loosen finally. He shook his head in exasperation.

"What a complete cluster fuck." He could hear the wolves outside howling at the strange light that Evie had caused. Only their youngest, Seth, seemed unaffected.

A car was pulling into the alpha's home. Seth glanced out of the window. "Chief Swan is here with some chick." He sounded subdued despite being forewarned of Evie's physical state following soul magic. He had just met her, and now he couldn't talk to her all he wanted. It wasn't fair when he was so excited.

"Must be Aunt Renee." Anna muttered, looking as drained as Nate felt. Healing Harry and now soothing Éponine had pushed her to the upper bonds of her abilities. Healers could literally kill themselves in the aftermath of a battle, their compassion making them the ultimate martyrs.

Anna and Nate hadn't seen Charlie Swan since the wedding all those years ago. Despite the disapproval surrounding Renee Crosse's union, her family had supported her. They'd been utterly delighted in Bella's birth. Nate could still remember how happy everyone had been, particularly because the half-fae was the first child born in about a century within the family. That Evie had been born two years later had only sweetened the memory.

The door opened and Renee entered with an authority that had Nate's spine instinctually straighten. He'd been trained under the General. No matter the amount of time elapsed, he would always have that reaction ingrained. She looked younger than she had in a long time with Charlie walking behind her.

"Do you have Drayer's position yet? Bella's boy told me that Medora is in Washington?" She was straight to the point.

"Evie's looking as we speak." He indicated to the girl in Seth's arms. "We just got Drayer's girl out of the trance she was in."

Renee's eyes assessed Éponine softly. As a soul mate to her son, she was already family.

"What about Bella and her boy?" Nate dared ask.

Seth chuckled. "Do you mean Paul? He has a name, you know."

Renee assessed the situation between her niece and the strange boy holding her unconscious body quickly. "Are all the kids pairing up all at once?" She asked incredulously before shaking her head to refocus. "Bella and... _Paul_ seem to be running from Medora's people. If I had to guess, they are heading towards Washington now. Paul seems to be having some premonitions as to where Drayer is."

"A werewolf with a sixth sense?" Anna asked dryly.

" _Werewolves_?" Charlie repeated slowly. He glared at the ceiling and began muttering to himself. He was about done with all of the surprises today.

•••••••••••••••••••

**Paul's POV**

I sneezed right when Bella began to stir in my arms.

"Bless you." She murmured while cuddling in closer, probably still half-asleep.

My heart melted before it became frozen when I saw a similar ghost lounging across the forest floor. Watching us with his envious eyes.

" _I hope you heard me before_." He drawled slowly, " _Drayer is being kept around the outskirts of Olympia. Renee and the others know now, but only you guys will be close enough to save his life. She's getting bored with him_." He watched me in challenge, daring me to say anything with a grim, deathly smile on his lips.

" _Don't you dare disappoint her_." He disappeared on those words.

It took a few seconds before I regained use of my limbs. Bella's scars suddenly caught my eye in a way they hadn't before. She couldn't afford to lose any more people in her life.

We had to get moving to save him. Only keeping Bella safe would have to be the last thing on my mind if I truly did what was best for her.


	24. Olympia

**Bella's POV**

I felt as though a truck had hit me when I opened my eyes. My head throbbed and my muscles ached. It was as if even my fae blood wasn't able to adjust sleeping on a forest floor. There was no longer heat, higher than a fae's or human's, pressed into my side.

The absence of Paul reminded me of what he told me. Ben's ghost was real. Every time that I saw him, I'd thought it had been a sign of insanity.

_But Paul saw him too._

Pain lurched at the thought of my Ben not at peace as I had wished and prayed for. Ghosts in the supernatural community were known to only wander for malevolent purposes. Like revenge, hatred, rage, or lust. Unsatisfied, decisively sinful reasons.

He had died defending us. So there were only a few possibilities that crossed my mind for his ghostly state. None were particularly pleasant.

"Here." I suddenly noticed the smell of fire and some type of charred meat being placed in front of my nose. I looked up past it into dark, earnest eyes.

Paul looked alert, as though he hadn't personally taken offense to our modest sleeping arrangements. Less anger colored the set of his jaw.

I sniffed carefully at his offering. It didn't seem tampered with. "Bugs Bunny had to die for breakfast?" It was an observation I wished my nose wasn't proficient enough to make.

"I made sure this one had a whole barrow of children depending on it too." A low rumble of amusement colored his voice. "All this work to dress it for you, and this is what I get?"

A second pulsed before I grabbed the offering and lowered my head. "Thank you." I quickly went to work on the meal. It was essential with the shit-storm we were knees deep in to refuel.

Guilt filled me while Paul put out the small fire efficiently. "Have you eaten?"

He snorted as he made the distance between us nonexistent in short strides. "Ate a deer before getting your snack. We've got to go, pipsqueak." My wrist was snatched in a warm grasp and then we were both moving northwest through the tall coniferous trees.

 _Pipsqueak?_ That was a new one.

"Bella, we are probably going to die."

I cocked my head in curiosity. "Not that I'm particularly opposed to the idea, but why this instant?" We had been continuously on the move in the wilderness in the clear for awhile.

A snort from my careless response before Paul responded, "Ben told me Drayer's time is running out."

"Yeah?" Completely out of tears, my pulse raced through my ears. My brother being almost certainly tortured at that exact second frayed me in a way nothing had in a long time. The numb, zombie Bella was gone.

"He said that we could save him." Paul grumbled. "So that's what we're doing."

I blinked once. Twice. "I'm sorry." I blurted out. Awe rushed through me along with the shame.

"Why?"

"You're literally the best and I..."

Paul stopped running abruptly and growled. "Forget it, damn it! It's done, we are alive, and I'm sick of this nonstop guilt train you're on now. Can't we just move on and fight a bunch of motherfuckers?"

I tripped over a branch while mad laughter bubbled through my chest. Perhaps all those years of acting the klutz was finally catching up with me. Paul huffed, swept me off of the ground, and then set me onto my feet. He let me go and ran an aggravated hand through his buzzed hair.

The casual irritation on his face raised my hysteria higher and I did the only thing that made sense to my crazed mind. I kissed him. A gentle jump to get my arms around his neck, I pulled myself up and pressed my lips _hard_ to his.

Paul oofed in surprise before quickly taking my gesture a million times further. An arm under my butt and a hand wrapped in my hair, he deepened the kiss gently. As if his anger was dissipated.

His grip on my body impossibly tightened. Through our bond, I could suddenly tell that he wasn't angry, just scared. As scared as I was. But I had a resource that he didn't when we faced such uncertainty: experience.

I pulled away and met his dark eyes. "Together. We do this together. No matter what happens." And just like that, he relaxed and so did I. Because I wasn't afraid to die and neither was Paul. It was infinitely better than the pain of not being able to defend a loved one.

I didn't want to know how Paul possessed such an eerily similar resolution, but pain and deep loss was the only answer.

He reluctantly let me go after giving a sigh as a sudden sense of cool washed over us. "We're on a timeline."

We ran and ran after Paul phased. Eventually I was clinging to Paul's back once it became apparent that my speed wasn't up to par. We reached the outskirts of Olympia in human form after stopping at a truck stop to clean ourselves up. A grimace from Paul told me how he felt about the wide selection of flannel, durable button-ups available to us.

And it was here that we found ourselves utterly stomped on how to find Medora's hideout.

"We were given a city along with the word 'outskirt'. This is as far as we can go with what he told me." Paul sighed resignedly.

I leaned against a lamppost and looked around the suburbs that we were in. Quiet, peaceful, and utterly boring which conflicted against the screaming in my bones that we were close.

Inspiration struck an instance later. "They're after me. How about we let them...take us?" My voice warbled the last part out as Paul's face lost its color.

"Rabbit, that's a terrible idea. Drayer was taken by them and I was tossed around like a rag doll."

"They had Alice then! Who else do they have?" I ground out.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••

**Paul's POV**

"How about the cowboy? The redhead? Or my goddamn bastard of a father?"

Bella's face lost its color and she collapsed onto the sidewalk in a huff. She hid herself on her arm and her voice came muffled and high. "How the fuck are we going to do this? And was your father the newborn back there?"

I ran my hand through her hair, giving my best Neanderthal attempt at comforting her. "Yeah, don't worry so much about him though. I'm going to kill him."

Bella started rocking back and forth. "That's messed up, Paul." The rocking abruptly stopped. "He must've really hurt you."

A groan ripped through me. "Don't worry about it, I already told you not to."

"You'll have to kill him after I do." A cute growl ripped through her and I staggered in shock.

I shakily removed my hand from her hair and sat down myself. "You really _are_ my soulmate." It was all that I could manage to say.

"I bet Jasper is already hunting us."

"Who?" The reason why she bothered to call any of the leeches by name still evaded me.

"The mate of the little one you killed. He has scars all over him. The one you called the cowboy."

Chills peppered my skin at the mention of that particular vamp. And as if summoning the devil himself, suddenly I was frozen on the sidewalk in fear. At the same time, Bella gathered herself into a battle-stance above me.

The sense of something going towards my neck and getting blocked jarred my senses and made the sidewalk beneath my frozen body shudder and crack.

"Back up, Bella. This has nothing to do with you." Rough words from a pissed vampire.

"Jasper, you betray me and then tell me it's none of my concern? Fuck you."

A long silence. "They have Edward dismantled in a bloody baggy over an open flame. _She_ couldn't let him burn." The last sentence was a guttural growl. "This is no more betrayal than an unfortunate blackmail. Now _move_."

"No. Killing my mate isn't something I can let you do." Bella was firm. "Now how about you release him from that shitty gift of yours and fight us fair."

My heart was still frozen in a panicked gallop. Nearly exploding inside my chest yet inexplicably holding me in place.

A snarl from the cowboy went through the air before it was interrupted by a cold, calculating voice that was somehow still Bella's. "You have nothing left to live for, anyway, Jasper Hale. That little traitor is dead."

It all happened in an instant. Fierce anger from the leech exploded through my body and freed me. Before I knew it, I was phased and leaping towards the vamp that resembled the honey-haired vamp that attacked Drayer and I all those days ago.

His pitch black eyes met mine and it was the first time a vamp actually looked like it should. His eyes and face were not anything but evil. He brandished glistening fangs coated with venom and inhuman claws for hands.

A blade went through his throat while I landed on him and tore through his midsection. Strong arms wrapped around my midsection and _squeezed_. For a fraction of a second.

Two of my ribs snapped right when Bella's blades quickly sliced through one of the vamp's arms. A yelp of pain ripped through Bella's mouth when I was released and he swung around and punched her.

I took his head before she hit the ground from the impact.

"Paul!" Bella yelled my name as she quickly recovered and walked to what was left of the leech. Her lip was red and split. "We have to get out of the suburbs and burn him."

The giant crater in the sidewalk was beyond obvious. It was a modern day miracle that the streets remained empty. My mate was beyond tough and smart for seeing what needed to be done.

She slung onto my back gracefully, the body slung over her shoulder like it weighed nothing.

•••••••••••••••••••••••

 _Two-hundred. One. Two. Three._ Drayer counted the number of footsteps he could hear people walk from the edge of his cell to the furthest exit of the dungeon. It was surprisingly big considering Medora's poor retention rate: people locked up weren't generally kept long.

Pain seared every inch of his body from his toes to the tips of his ears. The thoroughness was extraordinary, as though Medora's people had grown to love torture so much that they had discovered it to be an art form.

It would be Drayer's biggest regret that he hadn't been able to keep the pain from Éponine. He'd finally gotten to kiss the girl for whom he'd been carefully wooing and then he'd gotten her secondhand tortured.

Bella's suffering from Ben's horrible death was something Éponine would never endure, even if Drayer had to find a swift way to end himself beforehand. His baby sister had forever been changed by the experience.

 _Two-hundred and seventy-three._ The count stopped and the cellar door slammed open. Flaming red hair flounced in.

"Your lil sissy is going to join you soon." She baby-talked at him in a disturbingly high voice. She held an ebony whip in a pale claw casually and dread filled Drayer despite himself.


	25. Sneak

"I'll whistle for you." The fire crackled with the irritating words.

"No way." I barked out. It was an idiotic plan.

Black smoke billowed from the makeshift pyre that'd been made for the disposal of vampire parts. It, as always, smelled sickly sweet in an unnatural way that my pack-brothers and I had grown accustomed to.

Bella leaned against a tree, the garish fabric of the flannel we bought for her singed black from the soot. I'm up above her with a hand cocked on my hip, more than a little annoyed with our conversation.

"Ughhh. We are going to get ambushed again if we don't hurry! Stop man-spreading and let's kick some ass." Bella's voice is the shrillest I've ever heard it, but she had a point.

Only a small one, though.

"First off, downplaying my concern for _man-spreading_ is beyond rude. Second off, man-spreading isn't a thing?" I asked. We are definitely getting off topic.

All went still when a sharp, load crack and a harsh scream reverberates around us. Bella's head shoots up and she vaults over my head in a fraction of a second.

" _Drayer_." Her barest whisper is all I need before I'm behind her with my clothes shredded. _Bait_. These bastards were baiting us without a shred of decency.

There wasn't any ransom note or grand scheme that led up to a hostage being tortured out in the open. The fuckers just did it and expected us to show up. And if we didn't show up? The bastard ghost had said it himself: Drayer was running out of time and only Bella and I would show up on time.

The trees blended into themselves as I pushed myself past Bells and towards the horrific cracks of sound. Her tiny hand attempted to grasp my fur in her fingers to stop me, but to no avail. I am just faster. She wanted to get captured and have me play safeguard in the shadows? It was a death wish and both her and I knew it.

"Paul, you idiot." She hissed behind me before I lost her far behind me.

 _If I survive this, she's going to kill me._ The thought zipped through my mind before I bound into the clearing that smelled like blood and pain. The sight that met me made my stomach lurch.

The red-headed leech stood in the center of the field with a bloodied whip in her hand. Her bloodied boot pinned a man's muscular, lacerated back to the earth. He wasn't a big man, but the dark hair and translucent skin told me all I needed to know. The fact that a weak bitch like Victoria could hold Drayer down with a single boot let me know his condition.

A peal of laughter split the air as I leapt towards the whip-yielding leech. I was kicked in the face by something fast and as a result destroyed a tree from the impact.

"Well, you're not the general's daughter." I cracked my eyes open in a squint. The bastard that kicked me stood thirty feet away. He was a muscular man with violet eyes and he sighed in disappointment as he looked me over. A fae. Vamp scars ran all over his face in a horrifying pattern. "John, is this your brat?"

My father stood behind him next to a silent young woman with a sinister smile on her face. My blood chilled.

A gurgling sputter and Drayer's face forced itself off of the ground. "Jack, you son of a bitch. Call your cousin by her name."

Insanity etched into a delightful leer in his eyes, Jack laughed fully. "Family doesn't matter much anymore, Drayer. Grandma here has been showing me that for years while you bastards kept on without me."

"We thought... you were dead." The whip rained down on Drayer's back again. A weak grunt followed.

The young woman laughed once again. "Now, Jack. You make me sound abusive. After all, I made good with my deal after I captured you all those years ago. Your pathetic little mate still lives." Blue eyes focused on me as though I were an inconsequential after-thought. "Perhaps this wolf could gain me a similar slave in Bella. The leech who smelled of her has overstayed his use with the seer and soldier now dead."

 _Damn_. As much as I hated the Cullens, that was messed up. The idea of becoming a hostage so Bella would do this lady's bidding was sick. I struggled up to my paws. Bells would be here any minute, and then that nightmare might actually become a reality.

Running was no longer an option. Fighting back was even more hopeless. Two vamps and two fae versus a half-fae and wolf was the equivalent of a cosmic joke.

The best bet I had was to give Bella enough time to get away. A distraction. So I had to go for the weakest out of this group and hope that Medora would still value me as a hostage.

I began an uneven lurch towards the group when a sudden unbearable pain spread through my spine. I shifted back in a horrific fashion to my human form. I rocked back and forth in a frantic rhythm. A terrible, high whine penetrated the air. Somehow it was coming from my mouth.

Then ice spread everywhere. _I'm sorry._ An angel's voice, _my_ angel's voice told me.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••

**Bella's POV**

His fur slipped through my fingers. "Paul, you idiot." Panic shot through me as the large grey wolf disappeared from my sight. Drayer's screams kept coming for what seemed like an eternity before they stopped. I ran as fast as possible, my lungs burning through my chest.

And it was then that something cold hit me _hard_. Everything stopped. The world around me became dark and grey. But my body kept moving mechanically, and it was as though I was just along for the ride.

I tried to open my mouth to shout but even that was a futile quest. My mouth twitched a fraction of an itch.

"Keep calm, Bell. This is the only way." My voice spoke at me soothingly. I struggled against the sudden compulsion to slip out of my skin, away from the situation.

A growl ripped through my chest. "You never make anything easy, do you? I'm trying to keep you and Drayer alive."

Images, black and gray still, slid through my mind of Drayer sitting alone in a cell. He was staring at the ceiling, his eyes damaged and his hand tapping the side of his other hand in a rhythmic motion. Plotting. That tick of his hadn't changed for as long as I could remember.

"What does it mean?" I could now move my mouth.

 _It means that Drayer isn't the one that is leading you here with the screams. Medora has plans for him to die, but only when the General will be there to see_. A familiar voice stole my heart. Ben...

"You're possessing me!" I accused.

"I'm taking away your talking privileges again." The statement came out in a smug confidence that only Ben had been capable of when he was alive.

"Talking priv-" My mouth didn't work again. Suddenly his plan became crystal clear to me, as if the possession required too much energy to sustain all operations.

 _No_. The rejection of the idea beat against my brain and rattled. I fought against the invisible restraints shackling me, desperate to stop the pain that my body would bring Paul's.

 _This is the only way for all of this to end_. Ben thought sadly at me. _You can hate me all you want, but you'll still be **alive**_. My weapon slid through my palm, and my heart thundered rebelliously.

We stopped our sprint and went into creep mode once it became clear that we were close to the trap. That beautiful grey wolf was growling at a group of people that appeared to be holding Drayer down to the Earth. But the pull that I could always feel when in close approximation to my brother was not there.

An illusion. A powerful illusion that would take a handful of castors to create. When the fuck did Medora get so many castors on her side?

Ben steered my body in a lunging position, my traitorous sword prepared to do what it never should. _You should let me push you out of here for this. There's no reason for you to remember this_. Another gentle shove on my psyche, trying to take me out of my body.

I didn't so much as budge. _I hate you._ Ben didn't so much as flinch at the statement.

 _As long as you live, I don't care_. A whisper before my body impossibly flew through the air towards Paul.

The blade slid into beautiful fur and sliced from the beginning of his hip to his shoulder blade. His blood sprayed onto my face along with my panicked tears until I landed on the ground. Hollow. Everything crept along so hollowly like the Earth was no longer real.

A terrible scream shook me out of it.

 _I'm sorry. I'm sorry._ No amount of internal screaming would make my mouth move, or let me run to Paul to see him.

Instead I looked up eerily at the group with my head cocked to the side. I dropped to my knees and drew my broadsword up to my body.

"We surrender." Ben said.

Paul's unconscious body was dragged by Jack. Ben glared at my cousin as Victoria shackled our wrists with iron cuffs. Our skin sizzled and smoke rose into the air. We didn't scream, biting our lip until it bled. I was glad the black and white vision stopped us from seeing the fiery locks of that bitch.

 _He was the last friendly face I saw. The day I died_. He whispered as we watched Jack. There was no anger in that whisper. Only wistfulness.

I didn't respond. He wasn't the Ben that I once knew. Who cared about the past with Paul so hurt? Ben wouldn't even look down so we could see if the bleeding had stopped.

"Half-breed." Medora's sleek blonde hair glistened in the daylight while her wrists clanged with heavy gold bracelets. Once, before my Grandfather had died, he had told me Medora would only wear jewelry on their anniversary.

She never wanted to make my mother to feel left out since the warrior-born rarely wore jewelry. Stories like these had never failed to astonish me, but Grandfather had wanted someone to talk to. It had pained and tortured him that she had betrayed everyone and everything for her goals.

_"So much pain and suffering for nothing." Grandfather's normally monotone voice was choked in emotion. He, like all fae, looked young and strong but his eyes said everything but. Mom and Drayer had told me that he wouldn't be with us much longer._

He was the only fae that I had seen die of a broken heart with a living mate.

"I can't wait for you and your brother to bring my dearest Renée to me. She's caused an awful amount of trouble lately with the raids she's been leading." Medora still gracefully led in front of us without a single glance back.

"I must say, what Jack was telling me about those abilities of yours, you'll make an excellent tool for me for the New Order. To avoid detection when frightened is invaluable..." Medora murmured thoughtfully to herself. I wondered why she was even bothering to pretend as though she was speaking to me. Our march suddenly ceased when the blonde, beautiful woman went motionless.

Frozen eyes that I knew to be jade green, ones that Grandfather had cried out for in his last moments, met mine. A thoughtful smile marred her pale, familiar complexion. "Are you frightened now?"

Ben allowed me to speak. After all, a heartless ghost might not be so great at expressing my emotions. "No." I hadn't felt fear since Paul was injured all those nights ago when Drayer was taken. Now I was just pissed off at Ben and her, unbearably sad over stabbing Paul, and ready for this to be over. One way or the other.

Those glacial eyes assessed me for another moment. "I'll have to change that." She whipped around, clearly uninterested in my existence once again.

Fae and vamps, more than I could count, suddenly appeared from the trees to join us. In this fashion, we continued our march into the dark pits of Medora's dungeons.


	26. Stuck between a Rock and a Dungeon

**Bella's POV**

Apparently Medora believed fear required a bit of hope, because Paul was placed in the same cell as me. It seemed as though the wolf healing gene was imperfect, as his wound refused to seal shut without some assistance on my part. Ben had chosen to remain in my body, but gave me back control as soon as we were in the cell.

I chose to use my newly freed mouth to punish him as I helplessly scrambled around Paul trying to find something to bind the wound. "You are a heartless, soulless, dead demon who needs to pass over and go to Hell." Tears flowed helplessly over my eyes as Paul let out a shaky, rattled breath that made my heart nearly stop.

Mere silence met my curses, but I could still feel the bane of my existence crawling throughout my skin. I elected to tear my flannel in diagonal strips and began wrapping it around Paul's smashed torso in order to bring the wound edges closer.

Once that task was as complete as possible, I took a moment to take in our surroundings. It was impossibly dark, with just enough light to make out the cell and the corridor. Our cell wasn't much other than stone floors and walls. Chains and hooks hung ominously around us, and a dog dish had been placed on our side of the bars.

With shaking hands, I edged closer to the dog dish and took a whiff. _Water_.

Paul would get that as soon as he woke up. Despite his superior natural abilities over my own, he was still human. I could last far longer without food or water than he could.

An unbidden image of the pack eating around Emily's table entered my mind. I tried not to gulp in anxiety at the thought of how hungry Paul would be when he woke up. The wolves always ate more food when injured.

My heart sank at the thought of a hungry, injured Paul. _We were dead._ Medora would grow bored of us, and we'd be dead.

I resisted the urge to pace the cell, to count all blocks of the cell with my hands, or to scream wildly. Instead I sat at a sentinel position besides Paul while I listened to his heart beating steadily.

_Thank God_. If he wasn't a werewolf, he'd be dead from my blade. Trembles wracked my body and I dared snatch his burning hot hand to soothe myself. Tired of the boring shades of black and grey, I chose to close my eyes. I took air in my lungs slowly in and then back out.

With Paul's heartbeat beneath my ear, I fell into a deep slumber that should not have been possible.

Footsteps woke me up some hours later. Ben stopped playing nice and I was once again riding bitch as we stepped through the corridor. Paul's vulnerable state caused me to buck wildly against those ghostly restraints Ben had put on my psyche. They didn't budge. The guard who'd beckoned us to follow him was a warrior-born fae whose arms were decorated with more vamp scars than my own. He felt _old_.

"Try anything and I'll break your legs." He rumbled. "Your grandmother gave me permission."

Anger coursed through me as Ben forced us to stare at the stair steps that we were ascending. Ben spoke. "I'm much weaker than you. It'd be idiotic to try to escape."

The cheery monotony of the dungeon was finally broken up by slightly less gray wallpaper as we arrived on the next level. Despite my lack of artistic sensibilities and ability to see color at the moment, I had a hard time coming to grips with the design choices. The gray, striped walls were contrasted with striped leather lounge seats. The carpet was the only monotone piece.

It was as though a mad person had gone wild with a decor catalog. Which, from all that I had heard of Medora, did _not_ fit the bill. Grandfather had always made clear that it had been Medora's very rational hatred of humans that had caused her to betray our people in the worse possible fashion.

Fraternizing with vampires. Providing them with intel on how to get our young, their blood the sweetest delicacy. Enslaving children to brainwash them. Militarizing vampires and stolen children against fae for the ultimate end goal of destroying humankind. The list goes on and on.

My ears rang while the guard finally halted in front of a set of elegant mahogany doors. He grabbed an old fashioned handle and slammed it onto the wood. Once. Twice. I grew hot. My heart pounding in my ears. It wasn't me, Bella Swan, who felt nervous. It was Ben. My hands clenched within themselves, locking into suspenseful claws that felt unnatural. Adrenaline coursed through my veins yet somehow Ben stopped my ability from manifesting itself. Of course, my dead soulmate can somehow control my gifts better than I can. Of course.

Ben had always been prenaturally gifted. Despite I having relentless training from Drayer, it was Ben who had been the protege. I was just the bastard.

_Such anger and loneliness... I'm sorry, baby._ Ben thought soothingly to me in an almost distracted manner.

"Enter." A grand command. We moved further inside and the guard seemed to blend back into the shadows in front of us, despite the bright almost white room allowing no such a camouflage. Medora sat elegantly on a cushion. She cocked her head eerily at us while Jack stood sentry. "Isabella."

"Lady." The word rolled slowly off of my tongue.

She flashed inhumanly white teeth at me. "Call me Grandma."

A shiver ran through our spine. Ben inclined our head in polite agreement to her proposal.

Medora's eyes slid past us and towards the door expectantly. Several moments passed before I began to hear an odd slide across the carpet from the outside. It sounded lopsided and clumsy. The doors slammed open without preamble and the vampire who looked eerily like Paul slinked in.

The hairs on my neck stood on end when his ruby eyes met mine. He inhaled smoothly, and I wondered if anybody would stop the newborn from eating me. The venom coating his teeth was very visible all of a sudden, as if it were reacting to the scent of my faint apprehension.

"She smells delicious." He said eagerly. My eyebrows rose up into my hair. Something wasn't right.

"How're you keeping a newborn at bay with all of these fae nearby? They smell way better than me." I couldn't keep the curiosity out of my voice.

Medora laughed again, the sound far more sincere than before. "Science mixed with magic." She lifted her hand demurely while it sparked spectacularly in display. Magic.

It was beautiful and my eyes watered at the unexpected brightness of it. A powerful castor. One of the most powerful of our race. Sweat trickled down our back.

"My lady. Your grandson." Paul's father announced in a simperingly sweet voice.

The magic stopped dancing on her palm and Medora cocked her head in intrigue. "Bring him in. It's time for Isabella to see what's in store for her if she doesn't... cooperate."

Those doors opened again and that odd slide sound started happening again. And my blood ran cold and then so hot. Searingly hot. "We had to create that copy out of magic because my people were a little too enthusiastic in their work." Medora murmured with amusement swirling through her words, "I'm afraid we wouldn't of been able to get him to scream at this point."

If Harry Clearwater hadn't resembled a man with the curse Medora had thrown at him, Drayer was several steps worse. Anna would not be able to heal him in her first session. In fact, I could hardly hear his pulse resonate from his cauterized flesh. Bile crept up my throat and tears burned my eyes. My voice fled me.

Ben locked my muscles from moving. And the emotions built in the body we shared nearly combusted and consumed everything within. "I will do as you say." He worked my mouth once again to betray and burn the most basic bridge we had to one another: our love and respect of Drayer.

Medora's green eyes gleamed maliciously. "That is wonderful to hear, Isabella. We have several preparations to make in order to draw in Renee, and I'm afraid time is of the essence." She snapped her slender fingers demandingly and Drayer's non-responsive body was dragged away once more.

She approached me with dainty steps and my guard put a warning grip on my shoulder. "I have come to the realization that threatening your life is much more effective if you cooperate. Renee's forces are strong and bothersome, and a dirty play spicing up a simple hostage situation will simplify matters considerably." Her words were light and mechanical, as if she were speaking of the weather.

Ben listened intently to her words and expressions. Memorizing every detail and filing it away methodically. I was beyond thought while I raged all of my strength against my mental shackles.

"Your gift for disappearing is invaluable since Renee has an unfortunate lack of vampires in her employ. When her forces close on you and your brother during the fight, _you will disappear_. It will confuse the forces and create the needed distraction." Medora leaned forward lightly and brushed a wayward strand of hair off of our sweaty forehead.

I felt Ben's reluctant admiration for Medora's strategic chops. I roared in rage internally at implications that the "needed distraction" would mean for Mom. She could actually die that way, despite her insurmountable combat strength. A MIA Bella and near dead Drayer would be impossible for her or the troops to ignore. The purpose of their overall movements and purpose would go helplessly awry, giving Medora's people a huge advantage.

Medora removed her hand from my face. Those cold eyes slid away from me to the wall. "And if Drayer's state is not enough motivation to help my little scheme, my people remaining here will take care of your little puppy." She shimmied her hand away and suddenly the world snapped back to color in my eyes in a sharp explosion.

My guard dragged me away from that terrible room and it took all I had not to scream at the top of my lungs. Pain wracked my body and a headache exploded behind my forehead.

The descent down to the dungeon was hardly perceptible behind that pain. I was thrown to the ground and I went with the momentum. To no longer move was a blessing. Our cell door was slammed shut with a finality that seem suiting to the stuttering of my heart.

As blackness slipped over my mind into a thankless sleep, I realized Ben was no longer with me.

••••••••••••••••••••

**Paul's POV**

_"Run for help, baby. Leave me." Gurgled words. Her dark eyes pleading with me. They followed me out of the door._

_I ran as hard as I could, only I could feel that her eyes were no longer watching me. She was gone._

_I heard an old laugh and felt a long forgotten hug envelop me as a periodic burning seemed to dance throughout my body. It held me together and I could feel my cells stitching together at a rapid pace._

_My blood was a gift and a curse. It made my anger a deadly blade to any person near me, yet it healed me at a time like this. I needed to get to her, she was in trouble._

" _Run, baby._ " Mom's voice became less of a memory when I forced my heavy eyelids to finally open.

My hands skimmed over my hip and side. Raw flesh, closed but still scabbed, met my hand. It was no longer dangerous, but several hours from fully healed. Remains of a tattered shirt stuck to the dried blood.

A low whimper sounded far to my right. Bella. I ripped the tatters off me as I slowly rose to my feet. My stomach rumbled dangerously, reminding me of the price of being healed. My body would start cannibalizing itself soon if I didn't eat.

I slammed to the floor next to my rabbit. Even with the low light, the cell was still as clear as day to me. She was still wearing her sad flannel which was missing significant strips in it.

Large tears were spilling from her cheeks and onto the stone floor. I pet her hair without much thought. Relief coursed through my body at the realization that we were still together.

Although there was no denying that she was the one who had stabbed me.

My hand froze in her hand as I remembered the ice that had spread over me. The imprint did not force my affection, but that cold... it wasn't _quite_ Bella who'd stabbed me.

_That damn ghost. What the hell is he up to?_


	27. Reunions

**Evie's POV**

Her head lolled back and her eyes almost shut before Aunt Renee hit a particularly nasty speed bump with Charlie's police cruiser. Evie let out a startled moan of sound as car sickness pervaded her already prominent migraine. _Fuck soul magic._ Sure, it gave them a head-start to Medora's den, but it literally rendered her next to useless as a result.

Renee was speaking at a rapid fire pace into a cell phone, gathering her forces for a surprise attack on Medora's headquarters.

Evie drew out a breath and accidentally slipped out of her body. _Fuck!_

She was now furry and fluffy and running. Her tongue was out of her mouth and flapping. She could catch glimpses of the police cruiser through multiple trees, where a curly blonde head could be seen pressed onto the back seat window. Evie realized that it was her own hair. A cacophony of voices, overwhelmingly male in nature, surrounded her. They all mostly reflected her sentiment of surprise.

_Please don't tell me we have a new wolf **now**. _Jared groaned. His words were echoey, like Evie were on the phone with him and the reception was fuzzy. Leah's lupine nature seemed to snarl at Evie's decisively female presence.

_Evie?_ Seth's mental voice came much closer to her. Everything clicked together and she calmed and allowed the imprint to wash over her. Energy surged through her mind and the small cracks formed from the soul magic suddenly sealed together.

She had healed from magical exhaustion at an unnatural rate, and now she could see the instinctive magic that tethered the wolves and their imprints together. It was beautiful and in that instant Evie knew it was her job to protect those bonds from other castors' invasive eyes and magic.

_No need for alarm, guys. Just visiting._ She projected her thoughts loudly before discretely slipping out of Seth's body and back into her own. Drool was dripping off of her chin and she wiped it absentmindedly with the back of her hand.

Nate was grinning in amusement at her. "Enjoy your trip?"

"Yeah, sure. It felt more like an acid trip than anything."

Aunt Renee shushed them before delving into strategy talks with her second in command Darryl. A gutsy choice had been made in that Darryl would stay with half of the Allied Fae forces at the compound. If Renee were to fall, the others would be given a chance to salvage the fae back into order. It was an unfortunate disadvantage, but one that neither Renee or Nate could dispute against. Two lives, even lives with the political significance of Bella and Drayers', could not justify the dismantlement of the entire continent. A power vacuum was a serious risk.

"Have you been practicing shielding?" The General asked the one mage in the car.

She nodded while her fingers sparked in anticipation. Ever since the horrific attack that had taken her brother Jack's life, she had been practicing as much as Jennifer, her instructor, had allowed. It was the one reason Renee had allowed Evie on the rescue mission.

A good battle mage had impenetrable shields around herself first and foremost while she lends support to troops. Evie, even at sixteen years old, was more than adept at it. Prodigal even. But they were against Medora, and fear tingled down her spine at the thought of being around such power.

Evie would be the lead mage in making sure that this attack kept its element of surprise.

They were thirty miles away when she began chanting incantations.

••••••••••••••••

**Jack's POV**

"Fucking guard duty. I hate that old bag." Jack sighed as he plopped onto a moss ridden log in the forest. It didn't seem to matter what side he was on, it was the same old job. His old scar tingled and he couldn't help remembering when he had awoken in this hell hole.

_He gasped into consciousness on a marble floor, his entire torso aflame. It was the worst pain he'd ever felt on his life, almost as though the sword that had slashed him had been tainted-_

_"With vampire venom." An icy female voice interrupted his thoughts._

_Jack cleared his head. A mage could read thoughts if given enough organic material. Or if a fae was close to death._

_"You will follow my orders, Jackson."_

_Rebellion scorched through his veins. "Kill me." He wanted to leave this Earth as Ben had. With honor._

_"Get him here and keep his eyes open." A cold, cold hand yanked Jack by his hair until he was suspended on his knees. Another held his left eyelid open._

_The movement drew a high pitched scream from his throat, the vampire venom seeping from the edges of his wounds._

_Emerald eyes met his and a soft smile graced the face of the woman he knew to be his grandmother. "I have a gift for you, grandson." She snapped her fingers and a vamp appeared at her side. Carrying the most beautifulf fae Jack had ever seen in his life._

_She was small and delicate. With bruises all over her neck from vamp bites and nightmares glazing over in her brown eyes. She couldn't even see him past them._

_Suddenly the pain didn't seem so bad. "No." He whispered helplessly. Anything but_ _**this** _ _. His soulmate looked like a helpless toy in the arms of a vamp whom he suddenly hated more than anything in this universe._

_"You will serve me and nothing will ever happen to this trinket I found. Something told me to not kill her while I slaughtered her entire clan. The sacred blood ties still speak to me."_

_The cold hands released Jack and he collapsed again. Despair entered every crevice of his body. Like a spell had been cast over his body._

_A fae had little choice with his mate on the line. But something told him that he'd be little more than a dog in this new life. With no hope or love. Just invisible strings controlling his every moment of life._

_He prayed Drayer sent out a rescue mission, but then a long, horrible four years had already passed. And by then, Jack was broken._

Jack heard something but didn't bother to move from his seat on the log. Growls filled around him while he tilted his head up towards the sky. Perfect. Dogs to kill.

Rage that never left his body nearly brimmed over. A broad sword, much like the half-breed brat's, was suddenly in his hand. He lazily stood up.

"You'll never win. Submit to her and maybe you won't lose anything else." It was a lie but fuck them. Life was pain and then you die. But then again it was the pipe dream of feeling his mate in his arms one day that had stopped him from ending it all.

"You're _alive_?" A familiar voice overcame him through the noises of the wolf pack. Fucking great. His brother-in-law.

Giant wolves sprang in all directions, and Jack pondered his electronic communications device on his hip. One press and reinforcements would be here. And so on.

He dodged the first brush of razor-sharp canines and sliced off an ear. He then swung around and kicked a brown wolf in its side. Right when he was punching the biggest motherfucking werewolf, a streak of silver fur flew past his peripherals.

"What the hell?" Pain engulfed his ass.

The distraction was all that was needed until he was pinned by several wolf jaws. They began to pull his limbs in all directions, which was pretty fucked up in Jack's opinion. He gritted his teeth with determination not to scream.

"Stop!" A girly, teenage voice rang out. The pulling ceased.

Jack craned his neck to tell the interloper to not interfere when he lost all words. Purple eyes, so similar to his own, froze him in place.

_She's so much taller now._

That was the only thought that could make it through his brain while he watched his baby sister run to him. She was crying. But Jack couldn't find the words to tell her to stop.

She pushed the wolves away with a whispered spell when she fell into his arms. It was only then he could say the only thing that made sense to. "I love you. I'm so sorry. It's okay." He spoke quickly and desperately. Evie shook with emotion and he held on tighter.

Nate emerged from the trees with quick steps. The wolves still growled and a gray wolf, not the one who bit his ass but lost an ear, whimpered.

Evie suddenly laughed through her tears on his chest. "Stop being a baby, Seth. It'll grow back in no time." The words came out muffled.

"Tell us what you know and why I shouldn't kill you." Nate demanded.

And with his sister in his arms and many angry wolves glaring at him, Jack began to speak.

•••••••••••••••••••••

**Paul's POV**

Bella woke with a groan while I mustered the strength to turn my body towards her. My ribs were very visible, but my side had healed fully. Without the light, the time of day was impossible to tell. There was no telling how long we had been here.

"Hey, honey." It was so good to see her awake.

My stomach growled awkwardly between us. Not so sexy.

Bella gave a small laugh, but her eyes were cautious and worried. "Sorry for cutting you."

I smoothed her hair back with my thumb and kissed her. Our bodies pressed against one another and my arms went around her waist. And I suddenly didn't care that we were imprisoned, I was starving, or that my girl stabbed me.

I am such an idiot.

Maniacal, sleazy laughter drifted down our cell. My spine tightened just as Bella's did. "Why is your old man so annoying and evil?" She muttered, her nose wrinkling in irritation.

Those words startled the ingrained fear out of me. I blinked before a smile split my face in half. "My mom would've loved you, rabbit."

Bella's smile dimmed. "You really think so?"

"I know so." Time had run out while we spoke. John Lahote was now practically pressed against the bars. His bright red eyes were mere slits as he stared at Bella in my arms.

"The others are gone..." he muttered to himself, "I bet they won't even notice if she's gone." I swear we could see venom seeping down his chin.

Bella snorted while I began to shake in anger at the thought of him near her. "Relax, sweetie wolf, a newborn bloodsucker who can't control himself is hardly a match for me. Open that cell door and try it, bastard."

Before I could open my mouth and question my imprint's priorities, my father's head hit the floor while his body remained standing. Not an ounce of blood sprayed and it made the scene all that much more unnatural.

The evil bastard had traded that in for his so-called immortality.

As I looked at the still standing corpse, I tried to find some kind of emotion. Anything instead of the terrible numbness that was spreading throughout my body.

Bella automatically threw her body over my own. I still couldn't really move and I vaguely recalled that I was three-quarters starved. Boots, really dirty ones, interfered with my view of my dad. I half-heartedly tipped my head and tried to get a better view.

Bella's voice pulled me out of this odd phase a moment later. " _You_?!"

"Yes, me. Now be quiet while I get you out of here. We're on a schedule." Jack dragged an impatient hand over his scarred face. The ground suddenly shook. Jack quickly unlocked the door. He muttered something under his breath and suddenly blue flames with no smoke engulfed the vamp body.

"What was that?"

"Our distraction while I rescue you sad lot." Violet eyes went over my prone body. "Will you be able to move?"

I didn't even have to think about that one. "No. Not unless you have a lot of food."

A blonde eyebrow rose. "I have one stick of beef jerky."

"That's still a no." I was getting light-headed just from this conversation.

"What if I have two sticks of-"

"I'll carry him." Bella interrupted impatiently. "Drayer is over there."

Jack zapped with supernatural speed while Bella picked me up. My stomach rumbled again.

He returned with a hardly recognizable Drayer over his shoulder and a painfully thin, petite woman on the other. His grim face left no room for questions and the two cousins turned wordlessly towards the dungeon stairs.

Another rumble rattled us in ominous warning.


	28. Redemption

**Bella's POV**

"Renee managed a surprise attack. If we get out of here, all leverage will fall out of Medora's favor." Jack moved quickly and adeptly, showing me where to step in the labyrinth of a mansion.

I shifted Paul's humongous body the best I could and winced when I felt his ribs prod into me. Such a weakness for food wasn't present in vamps, fae, or even normal humans. It was scary to think that he was so vulnerable right now.

"Will they retreat once we're out?" Dread formed in the pit of my stomach.

Jack shook his head solemnly while his eyes trained ahead. "Renee hasn't had an opportunity like this _ever_. It could be her only chance."

A fight to the death between mother and daughter. Goosebumps formed on my skin at the evil and neglect that was allowing such a thing to happen.

"She tortured her, you know."

"What?"

"Before Medora deflected, she tried to take Renee with her. She had cast a spell on Renee, immobilized her... The sick hag told me all about the months she had the General locked up. She was fifteen years old."

Shock colored my skin white. "How did we not know about that?"

"My only thought was it was out of respect for Grandfather. But it makes sense... Why do you think our people accepted the daughter of a traitor as their leader? " Jack's voice was rough, like he wasn't used to speaking a lot.

We finally made it to a door that looked relatively ignored in comparison to all of the rest. Jack opened it with a careful focus that made me realize just how serious the situation was. The roar of battle was behind that door.

_As soon as that door opens, we will have to get out of here fast. Every enemy out on the battlefield will want a piece of us._

It opened, and sure enough, three vamps looked up from their feast of a dying fae. One of our warrior-born.

 _Willow_. My brain supplied her name to the horror-filled, crystalline blue eyes and blonde hair. She was beyond help.

The vamps tried to advance on us, but something knocked them back as we began to sprint as hard as we could across the wooded yard that led to denser forest. Sunlight burned my retinas that had adjusted to captivity.

As we moved, I could sense the flow of fighting fundamentally shifting. The focus of killing intent intensified monumentally. It threatened to knock me off of my feet.

The clangs of swords, whispered chanting, growls, screams and hisses grew in volume. A vamp tried to drop on top of us from a tree, before a silver bullet of fur followed by a giant black wolf sailed through the air and took the threat out. Sam and Leah.

 _Apparently wars could even make those two work together._ The thought would've almost made me smile if terror didn't breathe down my neck.

I knew it probably looked like Paul was floating mystically in the woods at this point. Adrenaline was nearly choking me.

Exhaustion was close, but we powered through it. Jack cursed beside me when a vamp took a chunk out of his forearm before it was cut down by someone.

"Fuck!" Jack swore again. "They're leading us down a straight path." His sword seamlessly rolled to his hand. I followed suit.

We cut through a fight between a couple of warriors against a castor whose hands were glowing green. I cut a clean scourge of gaping crimson across the enemy's hand, earning a high-pitched screech. Our people quickly ended it.

The pack joined our flanks in a great curtain, followed by fae in the trees. Except for Evie.

All I could see was her curly blonde hair on Seth's back. It looked like she was barely hanging on. Even through my own exhaustion, it was easy to see why this rescue has gotten this far.

 _Holy shit, she hid a lot of people._ She will have more than earned her place among the adults at the compound with this show of strength.

It seemed as if our people had accomplished the goal of defeating Medora's forces. Mom wasn't anywhere in the fray as far I could tell.

Sam nudged me with his shoulder silently and I quickly transferred Paul onto his back. Jack did the same with Drayer, but he still held the girl tight to his chest with one arm.

I was pulling ahead of the group when I could feel the calm begin to come over me. We had won.

I felt that way until a tree trunk crushed my legs. Heat rushed through and then the cold but it didn't stop the two women ahead of us from clashing. Another quake rustled the crushing weight above me and a groan fell through my mouth. Blood seeped.

Their moves were unreal. One had flowing brown hair and one platinum blonde so bright that it burned my retinas. Emerald green eyes shown through gold as she threw trees and beams of energy at her opponent. Her daughter.

Loud cackles broke from her mouth. She covered her mouth with black clawed hands. "You can't keep this up."

Renee grunted, but didn't reply as she dodged another beam. A long cut serrated her face, yet she still managed to look fierce.

A terrible feeling spread over. I braced my hands into the earth and pressed. The fire burned my legs. I was still pinned.

Medora stopped laughing and everything stopped. It seemed as though the air ceased to be for an instant in time. Her claws slid against one another and then _squeezed_.

Mom's legs snapped at her calves and she crashed to the earth. The wolves growled and people were yelling in anger. And it finally became clear that we were all trapped in one way or another by the demon in front of us. I twisted my arms underneath my body, pressing against the impossible pressure with all my might. Renee Crosse kept upright on her torso and glared fiercely at her tormentor.

"Yes, give me that look. Get up, my little warrior." A terrible smile stretched over Medora's flawless face as she made another twisting motion with her hands. Mom's right arm twisted with it.

"NO!" I couldn't help the scream that left my lips as Mom's face lost its fierceness. She fell over and seemed to shrink several times smaller to her actual size as she lost consciousness. Medora cocked her head as if pinpointing precisely my grief out of the hundreds of tormented voices in the forest. She began stepping jaggedly through the debris of the felled trees until she stood in front of the great oak that held me.

"Now half-breed, I must admit that _you_ -" Her claws tapped my face in an eerie fashion, "are a chip off of the old block. She screamed quite like that all those years ago." Medora seemed to fade a moment, as if fantasizing about her daughter's pain were a wonderful experience. "I digress, however, that there is a significant difference between the two of you. Those wonderful fae genetics of yours have been _tainted_ with human filth." Her voice grew shrill for a moment then quieted. "And now you seek to carry on that terrible tragedy by _breeding with a dog_."

My reaction to that speech was automatic. I spat blood on her boot.

She kicked me in the face. I gurgled out a laugh. "You hit like a girl."

Medora's hand glowed gold and suddenly the tree above me disintegrated. It nearly caught my jeans on fire. Next my neck began lifting against gravity while the rest of my body fought the shift in force. My airways were cut. Laughter met my panic and the new given height gave me a view of the many fae and the pack being held down forcefully by golden threads.

"Now you try fruitlessly to disappear in front of a mage! When you can't escape! You forget, half-breed," She hissed venomously in my face, "I killed that distasteful little soldier brat all those years ago, and I will kill you."

Tiny pricks of darkness pervaded my sight. I gasped desperately for air as she spoke. I scanned desperately through the imprisoned audience. There was only one person I had to say goodbye to before the dark took over.

Dark, panic-stricken eyes met mine and I tried my best to smile.

It was almost entirely dark now so I couldn't see him anymore. Panic started to fill me but then I remembered an important detail. _Ben was there._ We could play our games again and bring the light back together. In fact, there he was now. His golden hair and great big smile were enough like the Sun that it wouldn't be too cold for me. I walked towards him and put my forehead against his. Heat engulfed me.

_"I missed you."_

_He poked my forehead. "You shouldn't be here, dummy." His breath on my face was warm. He laced his fingers through mine. "Not after all the work I put in."_

_"You mean being a vengeful ghost?" I asked, confused. That Ben wasn't mine, this one was._

_"Vengeful isn't the right word. Protective is more accurate." His chest vibrated with good-natured laughter._

_"But what about all the crankiness?" I asked impulsively._

_"Look sweetheart, forcing myself on the other side hurts. Of course I was cranky. I turned you guys in... for a reason. A good one. And that Paul guy is a total dick-"_

_My eye twitched. "He is nice to me about seventy percent of the time!"_

_Ben interrupted me. "Bella, you need to go back. I'm running out of time." He pulled me closer to speak in my ear. "Be happy." He pushed me and my body fell back._

_**"I love you."** _

The darkness was back. But so was the light. I came gasping back through a hoarse throat on the ground. Medora had sunken to her knees. Her face was frozen with fear. It then began to crack. "Get out of me!" She ripped at her chest with her claws as she pleaded. Her golden eyes turned blue for a fraction of a second. Her hands began thrumming and cracking with golden energy.

" ** _No. You go with me_**." Medora seemed to demand to herself, fiercely. Her voice was huskier for a fraction of a second... "Where'd the color go?" She asked in a scared tremor of sound. Like a little girl.

She answered herself this time. " _ **You'll see**_." And then the energy grew so bright and hot that Medora ceased to be. Thousands of sparks filled the air.

Silence filled the air for several heartbeats. And slowly, one by one, our friends and family rose. Shouts, joyous and robust, filled the air. We all rose except two. Mom and I stayed on the ground. She'd gained consciousness at some point. Tears ran down both of our faces, but I think for different reasons. I, being the less injured one, crawled towards her. And we cried on each other.

Ben had died a true death in order to erase Medora's monstrous life force. He'd used my body in order to get close enough to possess her, and then he erased himself.

The truth comforts me yet burns me.

••••••••••••••••••••••

We were transported to LaPush in several police cars. The fae and wolves who weren't horrifically injured ran beside us through the trees. Paul was given drips by an overwhelmed Anna and was cleared to ride with Mom and me. My injuries were terrible, but only probably a month's worth of healing. Evie slept snug against us in the back seat. Nate drove.

We were taken back to my house in Forks. And I froze, quickly coming up with several lies to tell my father about the ordeal. I had tripped down several flights of stairs this time, Paul was beaten up by a gang for running his mouth, and Mom...

Mom was smiling softly at me. She bumped my nose with her finger on her good arm. "He knows, Bell."

"And?" I swallowed thick tears. Fear rang through me.

"And he's your father. He loves you."

I was so astonished that I didn't even hear my human father's approach. Paul laughed as Charlie grabbed me from the car and hugged me. Like he didn't see that I was seriously fucked up. Pain screamed through me, but I laughed too. "I'm so proud of you, kid."

He carried me to the house and somehow everybody else followed.


	29. A Brand New World

**Paul's POV**

"Seth, your new ear is sooo cute!" Evie squealed, her tiny hands clapping together in sadistic delight.

"It'll get back to its normal size soon. At least I hope so." Seth sighed and fiddled with the food on his plate solemnly. Evie threw her arms around him and nuzzled the oddly hilarious subject of their conversation.

Bella laughed softly and I drew her closer to my body. "It's weird, having both sides of my lives together." She confessed softly.

I looked out over the entirety of the cliff pensively. Bella's family had decided to stay with Charlie for a few weeks since they no longer were a secret. And Billy had quickly organized a bonfire as a celebration for the eliminated threat and also to say goodbye to the fae.

It was dusk and it seemed as though quite a few friendships had been made while Drayer, Bella, and I were held captive. Nate and Anna were talking to Sam and Emily near the foldout table overflowing with food while Evie had quickly befriended every single member of the pack. Charlie Swan was speaking animatedly with Billy and a healing Harry Clearwater.

A shy Renee was at his side. She seemed to earnestly desire a new cordiality with her ex-husband. No evidence existed of the terrible injuries that she had sustained.

Bella moodily sighed when she noticed where I was looking. "Of course, _she's_ healed already." Both of Bella's legs were in boots and were advised to stay that way for at least another week.

"You're silly. A human would be in a cast for at least a year from that trauma. After a hell a lot of surgery." I reminded her in exasperation. "Or if they were true crush injuries, a wheelchair for the rest of their lives."

"You're right." Bella had the grace to look sheepish.

The fire crackled and peals of laughter split through the air. Drayer had a grinning Éponine in his arms. He was sprinting and slipped off of the edge of the cliff. They hit the water.

I saw Bella's eyebrow twitch in exasperation at her completely healed brother. I ruffled her hair.

My good mood was quickly ruined. A growl ripped through my throat.

Bella tensed. "What is it?"

"Nothing." She was right to be twitchy after everything we just went through. It really was nothing. I just saw Jacob staring at my girl with stars in his eyes again.

But this time, he was approaching us. Bella stepped out of my arms and flew into his. "Jake!"

I stifled my temper with tremendous effort and made my body relax. That near-death experience had me on edge. I don't think that I will ever be quite the same after it. Bell had literally been smashed and choked in front me. In front of all of us. That mad woman had held all of us down like it was _nothing_.

Who was to say she was the only monster out there?

"Paul." My imprint blinked up at me from next to Jake. "It's all over now. We're safe."

She was the only one who could say that and make me believe her. Jake stretched with a smirk pointed in my direction. Jackass.

"Bella." Renee moved towards her daughter languidly, but I could see Bella stiffening.

"Mom?"

Renee looked uncertain. "We all miss you, sweetie. Do you think you could stand to visit more?"

Bella bit her lip. It wasn't an unfair question. And she ducked her head a little. "Yeah Mom... I'm sorry for being away for so long." It was easy to tell Ben's death would never be easy for her to talk or think about. But somehow, I could see that the pain had lessened a marginal amount.

"What do you want to do after high school? College could be taken any time. I didn't actually get to go until I was around three-hundred." A wry laugh. "I didn't have much of a choice until then."

 _Bella will stop aging soon._ The realization hit me with Renee's words. Suddenly, this moment became so much more special as I realized the crossroads between human life and Bella's life had come to. My imprint's mother had probably brought the topic up deliberately with me around.

My rabbit didn't seem scared, as if she had pondered the terrible truth a million times before I had. Which I guess she had. "I'm going to stay in Forks as long as possible. Keep Dad company. I already applied to a school in Port Angeles so I'll commute."

Something locked into place with our bond that moment as I resolved to walk the same lonely road beside her. Shifting into a wolf for all of eternity didn't sound so bad as long as she was with me.

Some time later, a boisterous dog whistle snapped me out of my solemn resolutions. Jared had bolstered a giggling Kim and poker-faced Leah onto his shoulders. The she-wolf's legs looked ridiculously long in comparison to Jared's imprint. Leah looked the happiest that I'd seen her in... ever.

"Game of chicken!" Kim crowed.

Evie and Seth jumped up from their seats. Evie's fingers sparked.

"No fair, no magic allowed!" Éponine interrupted shrilly. Her dark hair was still dripping from her and Drayer's dive.

Jack laughed by the fire with his mate Claire. "Darling, good luck with getting Evie to do _that_." He told Éponine.

As all of that squabbling escalated to a fever-pitch, Bella looked up at me with gleaming eyes. "You game?" She looked both excited and cuttingly competitive.

"Oh hell yeah." I gently held her tiny body to mine and lightly kissed her lips. We then held hands all the way down to the water.

••••••••••••••••••••••••

**Bella's POV**

"Are you sure about this, pipsqueak?" The dry Arizona sun was making Paul's skin glisten with sweat. "We could've passed as normal for a couple of more years."

I snorted as we strolled calmly to the humongous walls of the compound that we had climbed every summer to see my family for a few weeks. Normally, we had Seth and Evie with us. But they couldn't go with us this time due to the fact that their children had to attend elementary school at LaPush at this time of year. Trixie, Danielle, and Adam all had springy black curls, sweet smiles like their father, and an aptitude for magic like their mother.

The entire town had been astonished that Evie could give birth to triplets at the age of forty-one. After all, she certainly looked that age with the glamour she had created for herself and Seth.

Unfortunately, this feat of sorcery challenged Evie enough that Paul and I had no such cover. It was only when I'd overheard Jessica Stanley making plans to sell my pictures to a tabloid as an ad for good skin care that I'd then known that it was time to leave Forks and LaPush for awhile.

"Yes, I'm sure. It's time to move full-time to the Compound. Billy, Dad, and everybody else are planning on visiting every Christmas now. Besides, Dad probably wants some more alone time with Shannon. They _did_ just get married." I explained for what seems to be the billionth time to my husband of twenty-six years.

Paul laughed and then flicked my nose in retribution for my aggravated tone. "I know and I agree with you, rabbit. I'm looking forward to fixing that jank security network that your brother had complete imbeciles design."

I had known that he was smart when we first met, but it had surprised me that he had turned into a total whiz with an undergrad computer engineering under his belt and a highly specialized Master's degree. He was planning on his p.H.D some time later.

"Are we visiting him today?" Paul asked in a soft voice.

He was referring to Ben's grave. We left flowers and chocolate there every time we were in the area.

I smiled up at him and hugged his arm. "Not today. I have guard duty in half an hour." My being able to serve the community in such a way had been a negotiating term between myself and Renee. Due to her elimination of a threat like Medora, the other powerful fae had listened this time. "I love you, Paul."

"I love you too." We then climbed up that wall, where I saw the most beautiful future yet.

**The End**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! It would be cool if anybody has any suggestions/comments for this story/future stories 
> 
> Check out my other works or my original stuff on wattpad ;)


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